



V 



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OC'Cv^ /y(J.^6i.-p'^i/Co 



EEIINISCENCES; 




PERSONAL AND OTHER INCIDENTS; EARLY 
SETTLEMENT OF OTSEGO COUNTY; NOTICES 
AND ANECDOTES OF PUBLIC MEN ; JUDICIAL, 
LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE MATTERS; FIELD 
SPORTS; DISSERTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY, ESQ. 



LAl-E OF THE NEW-YORK SENATE, AND PRESIDENT THEREOF. 



NEW-YORK: 

PEINTED BY CHARLES VINTEN, 100 NASSAU STREET, 

1S52. 



; < 



Entered according to an Act of Congress, by Levi Beards let, in the 
OfBce of the Clerk of the Southern District of New-York, A. D. 1852. 



0^%-^ 



^;: 



PREFACE. 



To my children I dedicate the following work ; because 
when it was commenced, I had no design beyond preparing 
a manuscript for their perusal, and for such confidential 
friends as might feel an interest in looking over the lucubra- 
tions of idle hours, employed in this way, for my own amuse- 
■ ment. It can the more appropriately be dedicated to them, 
from the fact that so many personal and family matters are 
interwoven; and from the additional, though painful reflec- 
tion, that it is, probably, the only bequest they can expect. 

If, therefore, they shall find by its perusal, anything that 
shall incite them to an industrious, honorable, and virtuous 
course of life, a coui'se that shall render them good citizens, 
exemplary members of society, respectable in their day and 
generation, and worthy patterns for those who come after 
them, my purposes in reference to them, so far as present 
views are concerned, will be mainly answered. 

They will, I trust, pursue such course through life, as shall 
square with the most rigid rules of morality, in the estimation 
of men ; and as shall look to a future state of responsibility, 
where the actions, motives, and principles that swayed and 
governed here, shall bear the scrutiny of an after, and all- 
v/ise and impartial judgment. 

To the public in general, who have thus far patronized 
and sustained me, by giving countenance to my efforts; and 
to those who may honor me with a perusal of what I submit 
to public scrutiny, I owe an apology, that so hrge a portion 
relates to personal and family matters; and that so much 
egotism should pervade the work. 

I am aware that it is subject to this criticism; and per- 
haps to such an extent, as to prejudice it in the estimation of 
many, whose approval I should be proud to merit. 



iV PREPACE. 

My apology is, that when commenced, it was intended as 
a personal matter, having more reference to a perusal by 
family and friends, than by the public ; but as it progressed, 
it was amplified, and many subjects introduced, so that those 
better qualified to judge than the writer, advised and insisted 
that it should be submitted to the general reader. 

With this view a portion was re-written ; other portions 
revised, corrected, and enlarged, so that what was intended as 
a manuscript that would probably never come to light, has 
grown to quite a ponderous volume. 

Many incidents have been introduced, that will let the 
reader into the habits and modes of life at the early settle- 
ment of the country; and these modes, though greatly modi- 
fied by improvements, inventions and advances, within the last 
sixty years, are not very dissimilar to those still adopted by 
frontier settlements thousands of miles to the west. 

The truth is, that the life of all pioneers in new countries, 
is beset with hardships, difficulties and privations, that few 
can realize who come after them 

What I have written has been under the most unfavorable 
circumstances; for I have had scarcely any opportunity to 
consult books or records, as njy employment has been such, 
that only small detached portions of time, just as I could 
snatch them from official duties, have been devoted to the 
object. 

It was more to occnpy my mind, and amuse myself when 
I had leisure hours, and half hours, that I commenced and 
prosecuted my reminiscences, than for any other object. 

Such as they are, with dissertations and discussions on 
several subjects, I submit with diffidence to the public, with 
an earnest request, that those who may condescend to peruse 
them, may do so with all charity for the author ; over-looking 
his faults in style, his inaccuracies in regard to facts, and his 
errors in judgment; always giving him credit for good inten- 
tions. 

If the productions of my leisure hours, many of which 
have been under a most melancholy and sober cast of thought, 
shall prove interesting to the reader; if the tendency shall be 



PREFACE. 



to amuse, instruct, or improve him, and particularly the rising 
generation, one leading object of the writer will have been 
accomplished. 

I hope such results may follow; and that the portions of 
time thus devoted, will neither have been thrown away, or 
misapplied. 

To those who have patronised me by a generous sub- 
scription, I return sincere and hearty thanks, and trust they 
will have no cause to regret the confidence thus far bestowed ; 
while those who may hereafter become patrons, may find, as I 
sincerely hope, somethjng to amuse and instruct, and at the 
same time make them better citizens. 

With these hopes and aspirations, I submit the work, with 
all its imperfections, to the perusal and candid scrutiny of an 
intelhgent and liberal public. 

LEVI BEARDSLEY. 

Netc-York, March llth, 1852. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Introductory Remarks — Birth — Benmngton Btittle — Enirliph Puritau 
Ancestry — •' Leather Mitten Ordination'' — Pedigree and Great Ages — 
Other Incidents....... .*. p. 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Early RecollGCtions — Remarkable Aurora Borealis — Vulgar Supersti- 
tions — Removal to Otsego County, Spring of 1790 — Incidents of that 
Year — Removal to Log House in Richfield — Almost a Fright from 
Indians— Saw Mill and Grist Mill Built p. 18 

CHAPTER III. 

Forest Sceneiy — Household Manufactures — Wodes of Countiy Life- 
Dress — Carding and Spinning Bees — Wrestling Mutches — Clearing 
Land — Fires in Woods — Thunder Storms — Marking Corner Tree — Kil- 
ling Bears — Various Incidents, p. 29 

CHAPTER IV. 

Primitive Mode of extracting Teeth — Wedding, Death and Funeral — Or- 
ganization of Otsego County — Judge Cooper and others — Early Schools 
— Sugar Making — Scarcity of Books — Town Library — Otsego Herald 
— Washington's Death — Commencement of present Centuiy — Early 
Preachers — Judge Feck — Old Fainily Clock, with Reflections — First 
Visit to Albany, p. 49 

CHAPTER V. 

Military Enrolment — Brigade Training — Arnold Convicted of Murder — 
Popular Indignation — Command Infantry Company and Volunteer — 
Plattsburgh Battle, Incidents and Anecdotes — Country Dances — Con- 
test between Judge Cooper and Major Cochran — Great Eclipse, 1806 — 
School Keeping — Great Snow Storm, April 1807 — Vote for Governor 
Tompkins — Political Matters — Serve as Constable — Quit Farming to 
Study Law, p. 78 

CHAPTER VI. 

Remove to Cherry Valley, 1810 — Notice of James Brackett. esq. — Inci- 
dents — Murder of Huddleston, and Execution of Van Alstine — Books 
read in 1810 and '11 — Extracts, Remarks and Reflections — Ossian's 
Poems a favorite Book with Buonaparte — Attempt at Poetry — Death 
of Parents, and Reflections — Admitted to the Bar, in 1812, and Co- 
partnership with Jabez D. Hammond, esq. — Notice of Judge Ham- 
mond, > p. 96 



CONTENTS. Vli 

CHAPTER VTI. 

Political Matters — Madness and extreme folly of the Federalists — " Fete 
of the Legitimates ;" with Introductory Kemarks, . p. 118 

CHAPTER Vm. 

Senatorial Convention, 1813 — Parley Keyes, and Incident with Whittle-; 
Bey — Visit Niagara Falls, 1815 — Appearance and Impressions — Chip- 
peway and Bridgewater Battle Fields — Incidents — Squirrels swimming 
the Niagara — Buffalo and Western New- York — Observations and gen- 
eralRemarks,...-.. p. 144 

CHAPTER IX. 

Purchase part of Grand Island — Major Noah and his Jewish Project — 
Exploration of the Island, with Alvan Stewart and James O. Morse — 
A Night on the Island during a Thunder Storm — Laughable Incidents 
— Visit Fort Erie — Profound Respect to Majesty — Alvan Stewart and 
general Traits of Character, p. 156 

CHAPTER X. 

Visit Chautauque County — Land Purchase — Several Incidents — Myste- 
rious Noise — Superstitious Belief — Dreams and Supernatural Appear- 
ances — Anecdotes of Solomon Southwick — The late James 0. Morse — 
Outlines of Character, p. 171 

CHAPTER XT. 

Incidents in Justice's Courts — Encounter with a Pettifogger — Justice 
Insulted for not appreciating Public Sentiment — Dutch Justice com- 
mits for Contempt — Charge of Witchcraft and threatened Lawsuits- 
Favorable influence of common Schools — Early Jury Trial — Hunting 
and Shooting Anecdotes — An Old Foxhunter confounds Religion* 
"tracts" with " tracks" of the Fox — An interesting Knock-down on 
special request — Other Anecdotes and Incidents, p. 184 

CHAPTER XIL 

Exemption of Homestead and Household Effects — Professional Incidents 
— Admitted to Practice in Chancery — Anecdotes of Chancellor Kent — 
Judge Spencer — Judge Story — Excursiionto Boston, Pi'ovidence, &c. — 
Interesting case of Habeas Corpus — Elisha Williams and Rhode Island 
Bar — Presidential Election in 1824 — Last Interview with Gov. Tomp- 
kins — Celebration on Completion of Erie Canal — Governor Clinton 
visits Otsego, and Incidents, p. 200 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Elected to the Assembly, 1825 — Democratic Caucus first held with open 
doors — Distinguished Men in that Legislature — Great Southern Road, 
the Leading Measure — First Railroad Charter — Ignoraitfee in regard to 
Railroads — Great Impulses from Construction of New-York Canals and 
Railroads — Fiftieth Anniversary of American Independence — Extraor- 
dinary Coincidence in the lives and Deaths of John Adams and Tho- 
mas Jefferson — Incident of Col Stranahan — Morgan Outrage, and Anti- 
Masonry — Reflections on Sale of Paternal Homestead — Migratory 

V Habits of our Countrymen, p. 216 



Vni CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XiV. 

Visit Ohio 1826 — Interview with Gov. Barry — Shoot a Fine Buck— 
Again visit Ohio, 1835 — Mauniee Country — Wayne's Battle Field- 
Fort Meigs and Incidents at its Siege — Defeat of Col. Dudley — Gov. 
Metcalf, of Kentucky — Anecdotes of him — Indian Burying Ground — 
Removal of Wyandots, p. 234 

CHAPTER XV. 

Visit Upper Lakes, 1836 — John B. Macy, esq., and Hon K. J. Walker — 
Reckless Speculations and Subsequent Embarrassments — Rapid 
Growth of Cities and Settlement of the Country — Probable Growth 
and Importance of Toledo — Indian Dance — Chicago in 1836, and 1847 
— Its Convention — Visit Sault St. Marie — Descend the Rapids in Bark 
Canoe — Incidents and Anecdotes p. 2^ 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Election to the Senate — Centennial Celebration, Feb. 22, 1832 — First 
breaking out of Cholera — Great alarm — Court for Correction of Er- 
rors met in New York — Death of William H. Maynard — Slight attack 
of Cholera — Several Legislative Incidents — Introduction and j)assage 
of Bill to rei^lenish General Fund by Loans from Canal Revenue — 
Opposition of City of New York to Canals — Chenango Canal — Black 
River and Geneseee Valley Canals — Erroneous Estimates of Engineers 
— Report in favor of Black River Canal — " Stand still" Policy — Report 
of Samuel B. Ruggles — Criticism on that Report — Canal Policy sus- 
tained by Western New York from beginning .' p. 265 

CHAPTER XVn. 

Caucus MancBuvres — Election of Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, to U. S. Sen- 
ate, in 1833 — He opposes the Independent Treasury Bill p. 305 

CHAPTER XVin. 

Legislative matters — Makers and ludorsers liable in same Action — Act 
to prevent unnecessary Litigation — Imjirisonment fur Debt abolished 
— Resolution against the Re-charter of United States Bank — Small Bill 
Law — Democrats refuse its repeal, and are defeated in 1838 — Suspen- 
sion of Specie Payments attributed to United States Bank Controversy 
— Inflation of Currency and Over-trading — Deposit Banks required to 
discount libei'ally — Afterwards denounced — Bankers under a Cloud- 
Hard Money Gentry in Sunshine — Almost Universal Bankruptcy- 
Mr. Van Buren defeated in 1840 — Glance at swme of the Causes of 
Defeat p. 312 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Anti-Bank Feeling, and Repeal of Bank Charters — Sackett's Harbor and 
Lockport Bank Charters Repealed — The former Restored at Subse- 
quent Session — Charges against Messrs. Bishop and Kimball, with 
their Resignations — Col. Young's Resolution, and Poor Law Debate.— 

p. 334, 

CHAPTER XX. 

Common Schools should be Free, but not Sectarian — School District 
Libraries projected and urged by the late James Wadsworth, Esq,, 
— Shaking Quaker Investigation ....... p. 370 



CONTENTS. iX 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Anecdote of the Late Senators, Griffin and Young — The Late Col. Ste- 
vens, of Hoboken — His Project foi* a Railroad and Locomotive iu 1811 
pronounced impracticable and visionary — His Experimental Steam 
boat in 1804 — Robt. L. Stevens, Esq., invents and brings into use the 
long heavy T or H Rail, in 1830 or '31 — Extracts from Lecture of Hon. 
Charles King — Legislation in relation to Railroads — Opposition from 
Ignorance and Prejudice — New York and Erie Road — Extracts from 

€peech in favor of $3,000,000 Loan for its Construction, and Prediction 
1 1836, of a Railroad to the Pacific — Invited to St. Louis Convention, 
1849, and Letter in Reply — Remarks and Present Impressions in re- 
gard to Asa Whitney's Project for Pacific Railroad — Report of Hon. 
Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, in New York Senate, (1831,) Pi-edicting the 
Construction of Hudson River Railroad .........p. 391 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Charter of Centi*al Bank — A. M. Schermerhom, First Cashier — Judge 
White, First President — Notice of him — Dr. Little, Notice of him and 
other Officers of the Bank — Pecuniary affairs — Revulsions in 1836. '37, 
&c., and Losses — Remove to Oswego, 1839 — Failure of Commercial 
Bank of Oswego — Notice of Oswego audits future Prospects — Remove 
to Columbus, Ohio, 1842 — Loss by Fire — Farming, and Large Crop of 
Corn — Broken Arm, and other Incidents — Notice of Columbus — Return 
to New York, 1846 — Candidate in 1847 for Supreme Court Judge — 
Popular Excitement- — .T°>i"a- t :-.j T •. p^vpttp — Kossuth p. 424 

CHAPTER XXLH. 

Visit Cherry Valley, October, 1850 — Splendid View from its high Hills — 
Picturesque appearance of Forest Scenery — Flight of Birds to the 
South — Visit Cooperstown and Susquehanna Valley — The late George 
Clarke, and Incidents — Visit Oswego — Death of Christian J. Burckle. 

p. 442 

CHAPTER XXIV. . 

Tombstone Records— Recollections of Individuals — Anecdotes and Inci- 
dents — Notice of Col. Campbell and Family — -Col. Clyde and his Fami- 
ly—Archibald McKillip— Hugh Mitchell— Weils Family— Col. Aldea 
Notice of Col. Willett — Joseph Brandt and the Butlers — Captain 
Clark — A Monument wanting. . p 452 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Unadilla Hunts — Members of the Chib — Hon. Sherman Page, Grand 
Sachem — A Week's Shooting — Premium Buck ^.awarded Dog Primo — 
Interlopers and Poachers punished — Shoot a large Buck — Splendid 
Sport for a Day, and a Carousal at Night — Various Incidents — Letters 
from Judge Page and Col. Clapp — Poems by the late Henry R. Storrs 
and Morris S. Miller — Primo extricated from a perilous condition — 
Exploits and Incidents . p. 471 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Hunting Deer on the Maumee — Several Incidents — Birth-day Hunt — 
Chase on Horseback, and two unhorsed — Cold bath for one, — Cutting 
off, but not " bruising the Serpent's Head" — "Coon" Hunt at night — 
Habits of the Raccoon and Opossum — Fox chase — Red, grey and 
black Foxes, of ditfei'ent classes » ..........p. 495 



_X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Habits and Intelligence of Animals ,... p.' 51} 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Reflections in regard to Capital Punishment, in connection with the 
Execution of Professor Webster p. 51) 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Slavery, and alienation of feeling between the North and South... p. 52 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Reflections tn regard to the War with Mexico ,. p. 56 

Appendix A p. 5G 



REMINISCENCES 



BY 



LEVI BEARDSLEY. 



CHAPTER I. 

Introductory Remarks. — Birth. — Bennington Battle. — EngUsIi 
Puritan Ancestry. — " Leather Mitten Ordination.'^ — 
Pedigree and Great Ages. — Other Incidents. 

j_" My way of life is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf." — 

Skakspeare, (Macbeth.) 

Almost sixt3''-six years ! ! a brief space to be sure, 
when reviewed ; but long enough to make sad inroads 
upon the term of human existence. Old age induces, 
or should induce reflection. No man, with intellect, of 
mere ordinary grade, but looks back with deep interest 
to the past, and with intense solicitude, for the future. 
How can it be otherwise ? It is a principle of our 
nature, stamped deep and lasting by Deity himself, that 
induces a retrospect. We delight to retrace our steps, 
from childhood to youth, and so on to old age. To call 
up visions, and recollections of the past. To associate 
in our minds, those who were once with us, who were 
dear to us, and who have long since been called away. 
Such reflections, though for a brief season, seem like 
the re-union of hearts and the commingling of thoughts, 
once sympathising and confiding. T^^e human mind is 



2 REMINISCENCES 

SO constituted, that we derive pleasurable emotions, 
when with the natural eye we gaze on those objects 
that were familiar with our youth. 

Who that is advanced in Hfe, fails to appreciate an 
opportunity of looking at those things that attracted his 
attention in childhood ? no matter how humble and 
common place those objects may be ; a tree, a rivulet, 
an old stone wall, or the early family cottage, in after 
life, have their attractions. 

Talma, the celebrated Parisian player, (so much 
admired and patronized by Buonaparte,) on returning 
to London, after an absence of many years, burst into 
tears on looking at the pavements, which "his little feet" 
as he expressed it, had so often trodden. And as with 
the natural eye, so memory, which acts as the mind's 
eye, when it recurs to past events, imparts a pleasing, 
though melancholy emotion that can neither be sup- 
pressed or disregarded. , 

Childhood and youth, comparatively speaking, are 
free from cares. "We look back to early existence, as to 
bright and vernal spots, where life, joy, reality of pre- 
■eent, and hopes of future enjoyment were predominant. 
The youthful path is through gay fields, strewed with 
ffowers and fruits ; where the sun shines with peculiar 
lustre, the birds sing with the sweetest melody, and 
the little streams leap, and sparkle and glitter by the 
way-side, clear as chrystal. Old age, brings with it 
cares, and vexatious burthens, never dreamed of in 
youth, and then we contrast the present with the past. 

Reason and observation tell us we shall soon be 
gone ; a truth universally admitted, tut seldom reali- 
sed. " All men believe all men mortal, but themselves," 
and yet all know that at sixty-six, they must be near the 
close of life. How then can a reflecting being, unless 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. ^ 3 

perfectly stolid in all his faculties, look forward to 
the future without solicitude ? 

Human nature recoils instinctively from death, and 
clings to life with a giant's grasp. It is a great matter, 
" to cast off this mortal coil, and tread that unknown 
country, from whose bourne no traveller returns." 

I suppose it is an instinct of age, to look with interest 
on past events. Probably, all men as they advance in 
years, are more inclined to review and call up recollec- 
tions of former incidents, than they are at early periods 
of life. I am sure it is so with me ; and hence for 
several years, I have dwelt with peculiar interest, and 
often with delight, upon youthful scenes, youthful re- 
collections, and friends once dear to me, in the spring 
time of life. Awake and asleep I have thought of them, 
and dreamed of them ; parents and grand-parents, 
relatives and friends who have long since passed away 
have been presented in recollection, in dreams, and 
night visions, with all the freshness of life, and pre- 
cisely as they once appeared. 

How strange and mysterious this faculty of man, 
that fixes the memory of the past and presents objects 
as if in existence and life at presents 

The reminiscences of past years, have suggested to 
me to place some of them on paper, with occasional 
reflections, and discussions on public measures ; inter- 
persed with personal and other incidents, that may be 
interesting, at least to my children, grand-children, and 
friends ; and perhaps not devoid of interest to readers 
generally. It may be supposed from the minuteness 
of detail, in relation to family matters, that the work is 
more appropriate for those connected with the writer, 
than for general perusal ; and the justice of this criticism 
will not be denied. Still I have designed to intermix 



4 . REMINISCENCES 

incidents and details, in which the public may feel an 
interest; and thus render readable, that which other- 
wise might be rejected at the outset. Discarding all 
claims to literary merit, I hope to contribute something 
that shall instruct and amuse the rising generation ; 
the tendency of which, shall be to make them better 
citizens, and fit them to discharge the various duties of 
life, with credit to themselves and benefit to our com- 
mon country. Individual incidents unimportant as they 
appear, go to make up when combined, what we call 
history ; and though generally over-looked, except as 
connected with "the great men of the earth," yet as 
little rills and streamlets feed the mighty rivers, that 
sweep along with irresistible force ; so individual 
events help to make up the great historical mass, that 
floats down the current of time. 

I was born Nov. 13th, 1785, in the Town of Hoosic, 
Rennsselaer County, New- York, on or near the Benning- 
ton battle ground. This battle was fought in the State 
of New-York, and has been known as Bennington Bat- 
tle, from the fact that it was fought a few miles from 
that place ; and that the object of the expedition was to 
destroy or capture the provisions and munitions of war 
collected there for the American army : let me refer to 
a few incidents that my father and grand-father used to 
relate : — 

A considerable part of the contest was on my grand- 
father's farm, and in sight of his house ; in fact the enemy 
commenced their breast work at his house, which being 
of logs was intended to be filled with men as a strong 
point of defence. Those who commenced building 
this breast work, were finally called away to man the 
works on the hill, and thus the house was left to the 
family. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. & 

My grandfather, then about fifty years old, was a 
non-combatant; he always regarded the life of a soldier 
with disrelish, full of hardship and danger, and during 
the French war declined entering into military service. 
He was an Episcopalian in sentiment, and like many 
others of that denomination, was reluctant to bear arms 
against the King, though he cheerfully paid his taxes 
to promote the common cause ; and used to remark that 
" it was as necessary to have some at home to raise 
bread and meat for the armies as to engage in active 
warfare." 

I have no doubt he was very much under the influence 
of his brother John, two years younger than himself, 
who had been educated for the ministry, went to 
England for Episcopal ordination, remained there about 
a year, preached before the King, not far from 1758 or 9, 
and returned before the Revolution. His ordination 
vows and oath of fealty to the King controlled him ; and 
I have always understood my grandfather was very 
much under his influence ; and it was natural it should 
be so, for John was the educated member of the family, 
respectably connected by marriage with some of the 
influential families in Dutchess County ; where he was 
settled over a flourishing congregation, in the vicinity 
of which my grandfather had for many years resided, 
if not in the same parish. On the war breaking out 
and the English obtaining possession of the City of New- 
York, the parishioners of John assisted him to remove 
to the City, thus dissolving his clerical connection; but 
parting from them with mutual feelings of kindness and 
respect. 

He remained in the City in the discharge of his 
duties as a clergyman, till the English evacuated it ; 
when he went to New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, where 
the royal government made liberal provision for him. 



» REMINISCENCES 

I do not think he ever attempted to influence any 
of his brothers, except against bearing arms; and this 
was not heeded by all of them, for some were active 
whigs. It is doubtful whether he and my grandfather 
ever saw each other after he removed to the City, the 
revolution separated them, leaving one here, an Ameri- 
can citizen, the other removed far away and retaining his 
relation as a British subject ; such are revolutions. I 
have never seen but one of his family, a respectable 
lawyer in Canada, whom I shall have occasion to men- 
tion hereafter. 

In one of the old free-mason lodges in the city of 
New-York, I have seen a charter signed by the Rev. 
John Beardsley, during the war, who was an officer of 
the lodge at that time. 

It is time to quit this digression and return to the 
few details of the Bennington battle, which I design to 
relate. 

My father was about fourteen years of age, and 
with a younger brother, was made prisoner by some 
lurking Indians, sent in advance of the Hessians, and 
were part of the force sent on that expedition. 

The boys, when surprised and taken, were going to 
the pasture after cows ; the Indians would not permit 
them to escape, though they treated them with kindness 
and whenever they attempted to turn out of the path, 
the Indians would press them in, by putting their guns 
by their side, telling them " not to strive." They were 
finally released by the interference of the Hessian offi- 
cers, a short time before the battle, and with the rest 
of the family were shut up in the house. After the 
main force had been called away from the house, to 
man the works on the hill, a soldier came in and com- 
menced pulling out the " chinking'^ between the logs, 
to enable him to fire out. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. J 

My grandfather remonstrated, and on the soldier 
persisting the old man seized his musket, and being a 
strong man wrenched it out of his hands and tossed it 
up into the chamber ; then seizing him by the shoulders 
put him out by main force and fastened the door against 
him. The battle was sharply contested, but the result 
is known ; the Hessians were defeated and taken, and 
a large body of them, when they surrendered, came 
running down the hill near the house with as little 
order as so many sheep, and surrendered in plain sight, 
^ several being shot, after they had ceased firing. The 
Indians ran away early in the battle, when they were 
about to be surrounded ; they were painted and were 
nearly naked, and when they left the hill, they ran 
through a field covered with briars, paying little regard 
to briars or thorns, naJced as they were. 

I have often heard that race of the naked Indians, 
described as a masterly effort of Indian retreat ; and 
not altogether without its annoyances to them, as well 
as amusement to those who saw them scamper off 
through the briars. 

There had been occasional skirmishing before the 
final contest commenced; which was on the 16th of 
August, 1777. The previous da}'', an Indian chief had 
been shot by a parly of militia men, concealed in a field 
of grain, as he with several of his warriors were riding 
. along the road on horses that had been plundered from 
the inhabitants. A few days after the battle, an 
attempt was made to exhume his body, under an im- 
pression that possibly treasures might have been buried 
with him. When they came to the remains, one of the 
volunteers who had been engaged in the conflict, stood 
over the grave with an uplifted tomahawk, and exclaimed 
with stentorian voice, " arise, you old devil, arise." 



8 REMINISCENCES 

Bat the Indian gave no heed to the summons, nothing 
short of " the trump of the archangeV^ would ever 
wake that sleeper; and the treasure seeking whigs 
finding no inducement to further disturb the remains of 
the ghastly warrior, were glad to rebury and leave him 
till the "just and the unjust shall stand together."* 

I may as well remark that my ancestors, on my 
father's side, came from England before the breaking 
out of the civil war, that resulted in the dethronement 
and well merited death of Charles I. 

In characterising the death of Charles as " well 
merited," I do not intend to intimate the absence 
of domestic virtues on the part of the monarch. 
Charles possessed these, far beyond the great majority 
of his predecessors, and of crowned heads in general. 
The remark must be taken in connection with the fact 
that the struggle then going on, was between popular 
rights on one side, and arbitrary kingly power on the 
other. 

If the parliament, or popular party succeeded, it 
was revolution; if the king, then the others were rebels, 
and must expiate the offence with their lives. 

Now whatever may be conceded in reference to the 
virtues of Charles, it can never with truth be denied 
that he was an advocate of the most slavish doctrines, 
and the assertor of unlimited kingly authority by "divine 
right." In Archhisho]) Latid, he had an ecclesiastic 
whose claims in favor of the monarch and the esta- 
blished church, were but little short of the most 
extravagant pretensions of kings and priests, in the 
darkest ages of Europe. 



* Some further details in relation to Bennington battle may be found 
in an appendix. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. ^ 

In Strafford he had a minister, ready and zealous to 
carry out those pretensions with a thoroughness of pur- 
pose that allowed no mitigation. In addition, it must 
be admitted that Charles, obsequious to the views of 
his ecclesiastical and temporal advisers, was false, 
h3''pocritical, and deceptive to his opponents. 

He made pretensions and promises to the repre- 
sentatives of the people, that he never intended to 
perform; or, if for the time intended, those underwhose 
influences he acted, had no difficulty in inducing him to 
change and violate his intentions. 

Under the circumstances in which he and his 
opponents were placed, where their lives were to be 
sacrificed if they failed, I can see no injustice in re- 
quiring his, when arrayed against themselves. Why 
should the monarch who strives against popular rights 
be canonized and held up as a martyr, when in con- 
flicts for power he is overwhelmed ; while his opponents 
who represent the great multitude, the people, are 
to be hanged and quartered as rebels, if they are 
unsuccessful ? 

When men are brought to this alternative, I can 
see no better way of ridding themselves of t3Tanny, 
than by cutting off the heads of their oppressors. It 
is but meting out to one party, the same measure of 
justice that would be enacted and meted out to the 
other; and hence when we look at the tergiversations, 
the false pretenses, and the evident design of the mon- 
•arch and his court, civil and ecclesiastical, to retain 
power at the expense of civil rights and popular libert}^, 
I cannot regard his death othervi^ise than as well 
merited. Placed in the position of those on the other 
side, they would have acted like men devoid of com- 
mon sense had they spared the king, and permitted 



10 REMINISCENCES 

him and the adherents of power, to make war in his 
name against the people ; hence it is, that I have look- 
ed upon his sacrifice, not only as expedient for the 
public good and quiet of the nation, but as merited. 
And hence too I have always thought, that had his 
sons Charles and James met the same fate, the cause 
of civilhberty would have been promoted, and Eng- 
land would have been spared the demoralising influen- 
ces of the most corrupt and degraded reign of the one, 
and the arbitrary assertions of power on the part of a 
misguided bigot and despot in the other. 

I am no admirer of kingly authority, or believer in the 
"divine right" of kings and priests, to lord it over their 
fellow men : and hence, can look with no complacency 
on such pretentions, as Laud in the church, and Straf- 
ford, and other adherents of the crown, put forward 
and attempted to enforce among the people. 

When it becomes a question whether the rights of 
\)iemany shall be " cloven down," or that one, two or 
more, shall be sacrificed who violate those rights, I 
have very little sympathy for the oppressors. Let the 
people occasionally have the sway, even at the ex- 
pence of majesty and its adherents. Whether the 
king or the peasant is made the sacrifice, is in reality 
of little difference; except that the one, from his con- 
spicuous position, is looked upon and regarded with awe 
and veneration ; while obscure men may be sacrificed 
by thousands, at the will or caprice of a master, and 
the world jogs on little regarding the fate of the mamj. 
Revolutions and civil wars are rough games to play 
at; those who engage in that business, must be content 
to receive buffets, as well as to give them; and though 
results may not be precisely as we could wish, yet con- 
sidering the excited passions that always predominate 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 11 

in civil broils, we can hardly expect great changes 
without great sacrifices. 

But to return from this digression. 

William Beardslee or Beardsley, as it was indis- 
eriminately written in the public records, and Mary 
his wife, were among the first colonists and proprietors 
at Stratford, Connecticut. The tradition is that they 
came from Stratford-on-Avon, (Shakspeare's birth 
place) and that their new town was named after their 
old residence, I have not learned the year they came 
to this country, but they were at Stratford at its first 
settlement, as early as 1639 or 40, about twenty years 
after the landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock. 
The record of his will and other proceedings show that 
he died about 1659-60, his wife surviving him several 
years. They, with the colony, were Puritans of the 
independent order ; brought their minister with them, 
who, with the deacons of the church, had great authority 
and were associated, as advisers with the executors, 
under the will of my ancestor, (a common practice in 
early wills in new England,) the heirs and represent- 
atives being admonished to give heed to the friendly 
and disinterested advice of the minister and deacons. 

The inventory recorded with the will (Feb. 13th, 
1660) shows him to have been a man of considerable 
substance for the times in which he lived. Like others 
of his order, he was prepared for " carnal, as well as 
spiritual warfare," for his inventory shows " two mus- 
ketts, four pistolls, bandolier, sword and belt." The 
minister was Rev. Mr. Blackman, a well educated 
worthy man. He took his degrees at one of the universi- 
ties in England, but whether his ordination was Epis- 
copal I have not learned. At any rate he was of the 
Independent congregational order when he came to 



12 REMINISCENCES 

Stratford, whereepiscopacy was not publicly introduced 
or tolerated till nearly eighty j^ears afterwards. The 
deacons were John Brinsmaid and Joh7i Birdseye. The 
latt,"T I was told was the ancestor of Hon.Victory Birds- 
eye, a highly respectable citizen of Onondago Count}'', 
New-York. 

The Independents, justly jealous of clerical usurpa- 
tions, held rigidly to lay ordinations. They tell the 
following anecdote of Deacon Brinsmaid, who, zealous 
and determined to sustain the rights of the laity, on a 
certain occasion was in attendance to sit apart and 
ordain some one for the ministry. 

The weather was cold and mittens comfortable if 
not indispensible. The candidate was presented, and 
the worthy deacon in his haste and zeal to lay hands 
on him, forgot to take off his buckskin mittens, so that 
\the transaction has been known as the " leather mitten 
ordination.'' 

I looked at the homestead of my ancestor, bordered 
by large spreading elms in the most pleasant part of 
Stratford, where a most beautiful modern edifice has 
been erected. No solitary " fox looked out of the 
window" as Ossian described the ruins of ancestral 
dwellings ; for no dwellings of ancestors were there. 
The land has passed out of the family to strangers and 
not a trace of the old building remains, except the ruins 
of the cellar. David Beardsley, about my age, a des- 
cendant of old William and Mary, resides on a portion 
of land out of the village that was set off to her, under 
the will of her husband. 

My ancestor spelled his name Beardslee, but the 
town and parish records, as well as the stones in the 
graveyards, show it spelled both ways ; many of them 
as I spell mine, Beardsley, Thomas Beardsley, who 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 13 

is mentioned among the first residents of Mil ford, Con- 
necticut, in the historical records of that state, who I 
suppose was brother to William and came there the 
same time, has his name spelled as we generally spell 
it now, terminating with a y, which is the modern 
English mode, as may be seen in " Strange's" law re- 
ports. My grandfather's name in the town records 
terminates with ee, and in the parish records " ey." 
In early life he wrote it as his ancestor did, but modern- 
ized it in after life. 

The records and traditions abundantly prove the 
names to be the same, and so far as I have been able 
to learn, the tradition is, that all of the name, whether 
spelled one way or the other, sprang from two brothers, 
who came from England before the civil wars and set- 
tled, one at Stratford the other at Milford ; this my 
grandfather used to tell me, who was born in 1728 
about eighty j^ears after their arrival. 

I have recently received a letter from Hon. B. C. 
Beardsley, of Canada West, now upwards of seventy- 
five years of age, which explains the change of ortho- 
graphy in reference to his father, the Rev. John 
Beardsley, previously mentioned. John was born in 
1732, and was brother to my grandfather, and in early 
life terminated the spelling of his name " Zee." In 1758 
9, he went to England, as elsewhere remarked, and 
while there ascertained at the Herald office or 
otherwise, that the then English mode of spelling the 
name was Beardsley, and changed his accordingly ; 
which accounts for my grandfather writing the names 
ofpartof his children in the family Bible one way and 
part the other. No question but that I am in the direct 
line from William and Mary, the Stratford family ; and, 
as I made it out from the town and church records, 



14: REMINISCENCES 

am just six degrees removed from them, excluding them 
from the reconing. 

The pedigree is as follows : William and Mary had 
four sons, Samuel, Joseph, John and Daniel, Samuel 
the son of Samuel was the first grandchild, and was 
born June 10th, 1666. WiUiam and Mary had three 
grandsons named John, viz. John, son of Joseph, born 
Nov. 1st, 1668. John of Samuel, 1673 ; and John of 
Daniel, August 18th, 1681. John, son of Joseph or 
John of Samuel, (and which I have not ascertained) 
married Abigail, whose maiden name does not appear. 
Through John, who married Abigail, I trace my pedi- 
gree back to old William, for John and Abigail had a 
son John, known as John Beardsley, jun. born March 
9th, 1701-2; he married Keziah Wheeler, December 
29th, 1725, and they are my great grand-parents. 
Obadiah, their second son, my grandfather, was born 
at Stratford, October 6th, 1728, and was baptized in 
the Episcopal church, February 2nd, 1729. He married 
Amy Calkins, from whom my father, Obadiah, was 
born, June ISth, 1763, at Fredericksburgh, Dutchess 
County, very near the birth place of Chancellor Kent, 
and was of about the same age. My grandfather died 
in the spring of 1807, my grandmother in the spring 
of 1814, and both were buried in Richfield, Otsego 
County. My flither married Eunice Moore, my mother, 
November 10th, 1784, she was the daughter of Daniel 
and Elsie Moore, and was born January 22d, 1765, 
and died in Richfield, December 7th, 1811, where my 
father died November 15th, 1841, they are both buried 
at Richfield springs. 

1 have never attempted to trace my pedigree on my 
mother's side, her parents lived to great ages, and died 
at Camillus, Onondago County. The last time I saw 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 15 

my grandfather Moore he was about eighty-four years 
of age, and told me he could mount his horse by putting 
his foot in the stirrup and vaulting into his saddle with- 
out a horse block or any 'vantage of ground. He was 
in the habit of going to mill on horseback, and 1 think 
lived about four years after I saw him, which would 
make him about eighty-eight. He was born on Long 
Island and was no doubt a descendant of the family 
of Moore's, settled there at an early day. My grand- 
mother Moore was born in New Jersey, of Dutch parent- 
age and lived to a greater age than her'husband ; they 
were industrious, religious people, of the baptist order 
and decided revolutionary whigs. 

Some of my name, who are remote collateral relatives, 
have a tradition that our ancestors in this country were 
descendants of a French Huguenot, who fled from 
France to England during the religious wars and per- 
secutions in France, about 80 years before the settle- 
ment in Stratford, which would have been about 1560. 
How that may have been, I know not ; as I have not 
attempted to go farther back than the early records in 
Connecticut. Should any one carry investigation 
further I think it will be found that they were of old 
English origin and not French. 

From what I have said of my grandparents, it will 
be seen that they lived to great ages ; my father was in 
his 79th year when he died ; two of his brothers lived 
to be more than eighty years, and his sister eighty-four. 
On looking over the town and parish records and the 
tombstones at Stratford, I could not but remark the great 
ages at which many of my name arrived. Look at the 
following : Abraham Beardsley eighty-eight years, his 
wife eighty-one, Curtis sixty-two, Philo eighty, Abijah 
seventy-six, Henry sixty-nine, his wife eighty-nine. 
John, buried in the old congregational burying ground 



16 REMINISCENCES 

in 1732, aged upwards of sixty, though the latter figure 
is so defaced as to be illegible. I think his age was 
sixt3'-four, and that he was the son of Joseph, born 
Nov. 1st, 1668, and probabl}'' the father of my great 
grandfather and grandson of WiUiam and Mary. 
Stephen Beardsley recently died at Trumbull, Long 
Hill, Connecticut, at a very advanced age. 

Bej'ond what I have written, and what I recollect 
from hearsay from my father and grandfather, I know 
but little of the history or tradition of my ancestors. 
They were respectable industrious people, and of 
resolute old fashioned English stuff". My grandfather, 
as he has often told me, was fond of forest life, and the 
sports of the field. 

Before the American revolution, he made annual 
excursions to the" great forest, bordering on Lake 
George, to enjoy his favourite amusements. It was a 
hard life, full of excitement and adventure; but such a 
life, and such adventures as hunters and back woods- 
men, often seek and prize highly. He has related 
many stirring adventures, and incidents with the red 
men, who hunted in the same greatforest ; for it is well 
known, that this was regarded as the favourite hunting 
ground of the Iroquois. He related the following in- 
cident — On one occasion he was hunting in the 
vicinity of Lake George ; and coming near a 
swampy piece of ground, his companion remarked 
tiiat game was plenty in that neighbourhood, and 
asked him to walk with him to the edge of the swamp, 
where some one had shot a large buck a few days 
before. They repaired to the spot, where his com- 
panion pulled away a few pieces of rotten wood, thai 
had been thrown on a large Indian, who lay there 
partly stamped into the mud. I have no suspicion that 
my grandfather ever shot, or encouraged the shooting 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 17 

of Indians, but it is very certain, he occasionally asso- 
ciated with those who sometimes indulged in this 
interesting business. Those times were perillous, and 
conflicts frequent between the white and red men, just 
as they now are in the far off western regions. They 
were inevitable, and of no uncommon occurrence; for 
it was a question, whether the red men should alone 
enjoy the game of the country. 

Captain Earl, who I believe was the grand-father 
of the late Jonas Earl, of Onondaga, was one of his 
forest companions, but not the one who shewed him 
the dead Indian. 

Among other incidents he mentioned the shooting of 
a large moose in 1776, the year before Bennington 
battle, which was shot by Captain Earl, with my 
grandfather's gun, on the eminence where the battle 
was next year fought. The moose had strayed from 
the great forests in that vicinity, and being pressed by 
the dogs stood at bay on the hill, where Earl had fired 
at and wounded him, as he bayed the dogs : my grand- 
father coming up in a hurry handed his gun to Earl, 
who knew where the moose stood, and was killed at 
the next shot, a forerunner of the fate of the Hessians 
the next year. I remember that old musket, with its brass 
trimmings. It was one of the Cuba guns, and was 
used in the expedition against that Island, when Ha- 
vanna was beseiged. It threw a ball of rather more 
than an ounce, about twelve to the pound, and when 
loaded with ball and buck-shot, was terribly destruc- 
tive at eighteen rods; it was a favourite piece in the 
family, and had brought down many bear and deer, 
but was finally burned in a log house since the com- 
mencement of the present century. 

2 






18 BEMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER 11. 

Early Recollections. — RemarTcaUe Aurora Borealis. — Vulgar 
Superstitions. — Removal to Otsego County, Spring of 
1790, — Incidents of that Year. — Removal to Log House 
in Richfield. — Almost a Fright from Indians. — Saw 
Mill and Grist Mill Built. 

I HAVE a distinct recollection of some events as far 
back as the summer of 1789 ; when I was in my fourth 
year. I remember going to a funeral in Bennington, at 
the burial of a man named Porter, who died suddenly. 
It was summer, for the red cheries were then ripe. This 
miffht have been the summer of 1788, but I think it 
could not have been so far back, though I recollect 
something, that took place in November or December 
of that year or the winter of '89 ; as I went with my 
parents to a country store, where I first saw a stove 
and a negro. The stove I recollect, from putting my 
hand on it and getting burned, and the negro, (old 
mink) from being afraid of him. 

In the latter part of '89 or early part of '90, there 
was a remarkable exhibition of northern lights, which 
formed a beautiful crown over head, bright and nearly 
red, which my childish imagination turned into cart 
wheels, from its forming many circles resembling 
wheels. It was so brilliant, that my father went out 
and read by its light. This exhibition was al"terwards 
remembered and talked about, and as the French 
revolution soon after broke out, which was ultimately 
attended with horrid cruelties, some who had seen this 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. IS 

aurora borealis, superstitiously regarded it as the pre- 
cursor of that bloody revolution. 

In the autumn of '89 my father, with his brothers 
and my grandfather, made up their minds to emigrate 
to the west the next spring, and settle in the woods, on 
new land which they had selected and purchased of 
Goldsbro Banyer, of Albany, at $1 25 per acre. The 
land was in what is now Richfield, Otsego county. 
The spring of 1790 having sold their farm in Hoosic, 
my father, with two of his brothers, who had small 
families, and my grandfather, broke up and started 
for their intended new home. 

Their worldly substance was small. I think for the 
purpose of moving, they had a cart and one or two 
wagons, one or two yoke of oxen, three or four horses, 
and a few cattle, sheep and hogs. The roads were 
excessively bad, and they took but little household 
stuff with them; nor could they, as their means of trans- 
portation were very limited. I was little more than 
four years old ; being four in November preceding, and 
this movement commenced the latter part of April, 1790. 
My mother was left behind with a sick child, who had 
been dangerously ill, and was not well enough to be 
removed. My sister, about two years younger than 
myself, was with me, stowed away in the cart or wag- 
on, among the chairs and furniture, and put under the 
care of a girl brought up by my grandfather. 

I recollect a few incidents of the journey. We 
crossed the Hudson near Half Moon (Waterford) where 
a young bull jumped out of the ferry boat, and swam 
back to the eastern shore. He was finally driven up and 
made to swim to the western side, to join the other 
cattle. We then passed to the Mohawk, and kept up 
that river on the north side, till we came to Fonda's ferry, 



M) REMINISCENCES 

which must have been very near the present village of 
Fonda. Here we ferried over to the south side and con- 
tinued up the river to Canajoharie. 

I vi^ell remember the appearance of the elm trees, 
that skirted the Mohawk, with their large swelling buds 
and spring-like appearance. At Canajoharie we left 
the river and took the old continental road, as it was 
called, towards Springfield, Otsego county ; the same 
road that a division of the American army had taken 
to Otsego lake under Gen. Clinton, to join Sullivan's 
expedition against the Indians. We staid all night at 
Conradt Seeber's (now Seeber's lane,) where he kept a 
poor Dutch tavern. Slavery was then common, and not 
regarded a sin as now. Every Dutch farmer who was 
able to purchase, had more or less slaves ; and negroes 
generally fared as well as their masters. 

I was somewhat afraid of the " darJcies*^ but became 
more reconciled to them when they spoke kindly to me, 
in broken English. 

Bread stuffs, were very scarce and dear that year, 
all over the country, and in Europe too. We had got 
out of bread and flour and could get nothing of the kind 
at Seeber's, or among his neighbours. The negroes 
were sent out, from house to house, but could get nothing 
in the bread line but potatoes, which we roasted, and I 
went to sleep, after eating some of them, crying for bread. 
The next day we started and went as far as William 
Seeber's, with the teams, about three miles ; where they 
concluded to leave part of the vehicles till the roads be- 
came settled, which were then broken up and almost im- 
passable. Some of the party drove the live stock, 
and went on the best way they could. My father 
put a saddle on one of the horses, and on another 
packed a bed and bedding on which the girl was to 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. .21 

ride. I was placed on the horse behind him on a 
pillow tied to the saddle, with a strap under my arms, 
buckled round his waist, to prevent me from falling off, 
and carrying my sister before him, we pursued our 
journey ; the girl (Sukey) riding the other horse on top 
of the bed and bedding ; and a yearling colt tagging 
after. This constituted the cavalcade so far as my 
father and his family were concerned. Our object 
was to go up towards Springfield till we reached the 
old road, that diverged and ran off west or southwesterly, 
to the foot of Schuyler's lake, where my father and uncles 
had hired the " Herkimer farm" on which was a 
small improvement made before the war ; and two 
small log houses, more properly speaking huts. We 
went about half way that day and stopped overnight 
in a log house, about two miles west of little lakes, 
and a mile east of what is now Richfield springs, from 
which stopping place we continued next day down the 
lake, on the east side to its foot. 

In due time after the roads were settled, the teams 
were sent back for the cart, wagons and furniture, and 
after planting a small piece of corn, my father took one 
of the horses and went to Hoosic for my mother. She 
rode the horse on a man's saddle, and carried the child, ' 
my father in patriarchal manner walking by her side ; 
and thus the family were at length re-united in the 
woods at the foot of the beautiful lake, and by the side 
of the fine little stream known as "Herkimer Creek," 
then full of fish, particularly the speckled trout. After 
his return, one of the first things for the safety of 
the sheep, was to build a fold or place where they 
could be kept at night, safe from the depredations of 
wolves, whose nocturnal bowlings on the hills, east of 
the lake could be heard almost every night during that 



22 REMINISCENCES 

season. A pen was formed by laying up logs like the 
body of a log house, and so close and high that a wolf 
could not get in, or over it. In this the sheep were 
driven every night. I recollect the putting up of this 
pen. Timothy Morse, who had recently settled at 
Burlington, was there to assist, and being a very strong 
man carried up one of the corners. He was afterwards 
Justice of the peace, and a Judge of the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas, when I was admitted to the bar. 

After the weeding of the corn, and before and after 
the hay making season, my father and his two bro- 
thers went to work, and cut and cleared out a path 
through the woods from the foot of the lake to their lot 
in Richfield. They followed the marked trees on the 
line of lots'as near as the ground would admit, and 
made a road or path, wide enough for a cart to get 
along with skilful driving, about six miles, or as the 
road ran a little more. The path being prepared, they 
went to work whenever they could be spared from the 
farm at the lake, and cut away the brush and small 
trees, and enough of the large ones to afford room for 
building two log houses, one on my father's farm the 
other on my uncle's, the houses being twenty or twenty- 
five rods apart. These were put up and partly com- 
pleted in the course of the summer, that they might 
move to them in August or September, after securing 
the small crops. They were placed in the woods, and 
not an eighth of an acre cleared around either, or even 
both of them, and were any thing but habitable. The 
one that we moved in, for my father moved to his one 
or two days before my uncle, was a small log cabin, 
the body laid up, and part, though not the whole of 
the roof was covered with black ash and elm bark, 
which had been peeled from the trees at the season 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 23 

when bark is taken off easily. When spread out and 
put on the roof and pressed down with poles or small 
timbers, the rough side, exposed to the weather, it 
makes a good roof that will last several years, and 
shed the rain quite well. Our house was partiall}' 
covered, and when it rained we had to put our effects 
and get ourselves under that part which was sheltered. 
The floor was made of bass wood logs, split and 
hewed partially on one side, and then spotted down, 
making a good substantial floor, but only about half 
'. of ours was laid. We had no fire place or chimney, 
and till this was built, the cooking must all be done 
out of doors. A place for the door was cut out, so that 
we could go in, but no door had been made, nor had 
we any way of fastening the doorway except by barri- 
cading. There was of course no chamber floor, though 
this was supplied by loose boards, subsequently ob- 
tained. A mud and stick chimney and fire place were 
afterwards added, as the weather became cool ; and 
to get earth or clay to make mortar to daub the house 
and make the chimney, a hole was dug under the floor, 
which was our only cellar, in which in winter we put a 
few bushels of potatoes and turnips, and took up one of 
the flattened logs from the floor whenever we wanted 
any thing from below. I have said there was no door 
when we moved in. My father on reaching the house 
with my mother and family, remained there the first 
night, hanging a blanket at the door way to keep out 
part of the night air. The next day he returned to the 
lake, with the team to assist my uncle to move up with 
his family, two days after we came. Thus my mother 
and myself with the two younger children were left in 
the woods alone for a day and a night, five or six 
miles from our recent residence, and without any 



24 REMINISCENCES Vr 

fastening to the door way in case we wanted to close 
the entrance. It must be recollected that this was 
but a few years after the close of the war, and all 
the recollections of Indian atrocities were fresh in 
remembrance among those who had gone through the 
revolutionary scenes. My mother, with probably as 
much courage as most women, and with more fortitude 
than many of them, was timid in regard to Indians. 
She and her sisters had narrowly escaped those that 
passed through Cambridge on their way to Bennington. 
Her cousin, John Younglove, an ardent whig, had been 
shot in his own house by Indians, or Tories disguised 
in Indian dresses. 

During the day, after my father had gone with the 
team, we heard noises in the woods, screaming, and 
to us very frightful. I suppose it must have been 
blue jays, with the hootings of the owl ; but we con- 
verted them into the possible, if not probable noise of 
lurking Indians. What was to be done? we had no 
door to the house, but mother went to work, to barri- 
cade and secure the doorway; which she soon rendered 
quite safe by bedsteads, chairs, tables, and other 
household furniture. The gun had been left at home, 
well loaded, and she said if we were attacked, she 
would defend the house, though she knew but little 
about the use of fire arms, except to load. She exam- 
ined the powder horn, to see how much powder we 
had, and the bullet pouch to see how many balls ; and 
being thus prepared, secured and fortified, we passed 
that night safely, annoyed more by musquitos than 
anything else ; and the next day, father with my uncle 
and family returned. 

He brought with him some pieces of boards to make 
a door, which he soon conrpleted, with wooden hinges 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 25 

and wooden catch and latch, raised by a string ; and 
the door was fastened by a pin inside, when we wanted 
to secure it. 

" The latch string however of that cabin was ahvays 
out,'" except when the family were from home ; and 
here we were settled on our new farm, in the midst of 
the woods, five miles from our neighbours, except my 
uncle and his family. 

Let me go back for a few moments to our residence 
at the lake before we removed to the farm. 1 want 
to let my readers into the secrets of living in a new 
country, the privations and hardships, incident to such 
a life. You will probably, many of 3'ou, never know 
them from experience, but I will give j'ou an insight. 

We all came to the country quite poor. There were 
no stores near us, and if there had been we had nothing 
to pay for goods. Our nearest mill, wliile we lived at 
the lake was Tubb's, on Oak's creek, near Toddsville, 
some three miles from Cooperstown. After we went to 
Richfield, we sometimes went to this mill, sometimes to 
Walbridges, in Burlington, and sometimes to Fort Plain ; 
the latter at least thirty miles, as the road then ran. 

In the year 1791, Wm. Tunnicliff built a saw mill, 
near Richfield springs, four miles from our residence; 
and the next year he built on the opposite side of the 
creek a small grist mill, which served the purposes of 
the townspeople for several years, except in low water 
when they had to go to greater distances. Judge Peck 
was the millwright and built both mills ; the mill dam, 
put in by him in 1791, is still standing ; and the old 
building in which was the grist mill, though removed 
is also standing, used for a shed ; the shingle roof put 
on at the time, being quite perfect yet. Almost every 
family in the country made their own cloth. The dye 



26 nEMINISCENCES 

tub was always an appendage, and stood in the corner 
near the fire, and served as a seat for one of the inmates. 
We came to the country before sheep shearing, so we 
had to wait till they were sheared and the wool picked, 
carded, spun, wove and dressed, before we had our 
annual supply of woollen clothing ; and for linen we 
had to wait till we could raise flax and manufacture it. 
To obviate the difficulty, so far as I was concerned, 
my mother, after she came to the lake, cut up an old 
cloak, and from it made me a little coat with pockets. 
My grandfather professed a knowledge in the tanning 
business, and having provided himself with a large 
trough in which he put such skins as he could get ; he 
put them through his process of tanning. I don't think 
he knew much about it except in reference to deer 
skins ; he could dress them Indian fashion (smoke dress- 
ed) as well as any MohawJc or Iroquois. He however 
got a sheep skin and having taken off the wool, went 
on to dress it. I think the dressing was but little 
more than rubbing and pulling it and then nailing it to 
the wagon box to dry, after stretching it every way 
to its utmost tension. He declared it fit for use, and it 
was decided, in council, that for want of something 
better, I should have a pair of sheepskin breeches, 
which were soon prepared, and I was cased in them. 
The skin was dry and rattled like parchment or an old 
snuff bladder, and the garment was so short in the 
legs that they extended but about half way below 
my knees. You may judge of my appearance; the old 
sheepskin when dry, would rattle ^A'hen Iran, and if the 
pants got wet they would stretch and become flabby, 
and then harder and shorter than ever when they got 
dry again. 

Thus pantalooned and coaled, I spent a very pleasant 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 27 

summer and for amusement often went out with David, 
my father's youngest brother, some 14 years of age. 
The marshy lands abounded with Enghsh snipe, which 
you know sit so close to the ground, and so resemble 
it in color that you can hardly see them, till they get 
on wing. Just at night they delight in getting up, and 
with a spiral whirl, ascend high into the air, with a con- 
stant gyration, chirping, as they rise till they are out 
of sight, and almost of hearing ; and then will come 
down again, and settle very near where they started 
from, crying as they squat on the ground " quaack." 

Uncle David used to arm himself with a long 
brushy stick, with his pocket full of stones, and on 
seeing the bird get up would place himself near where 
he started from, and when he settled down would fre- 
quently kill him with his brushy stick. Sometimes he 
would kill him with stones, and to promote this desir- 
able object, my coat pockets were filled with " rocks," 
as the buck eyes say, for him to heave at them. The 
cloth being old and tender, from which my coat was 
made, the pockets were soon torn out, and I was 
threatened with a severe chastisement for thus des- 
troying my new coat. 

The farm at the lake was retained a second year, 
my grandfather and one of my uncles residing there 
during the year 1791, and was kept for the common 
benefit of the colony, to furnish hay and grain, till we 
could clear the land and raise crops in Richfield. 

It is time to go back again to our log house on the 
new farm. In the course of the autumn of 1790, and 
during '91, many people came to look for lands, and my 
father's and uncle's houses, were places of rendezvous 
for all comers. They generally slept on the floor before 
the fire on straw beds ; for we had scarcely a spare 



28 ' REMINISCENCES 

one of other description at that time. After a chamber 
floor was put in, some slept in the chamber, to which 
they ascended by a ladder that always stood in the 
bouse. 



CHAPTER III. 

Forest Scenery. — Household Manufactures. — Modes of Coun- 
try Life. — Dress. — Carding and Spinning Bees. — Wrest- 
ling MatcTies. — Clearing Land. — Fires in Woods.—' 
Thunder Storms. — Marking Corner Tree. — Killing 
Bears.- — Various Incidents. 

" There is a pleasure in the pathless wood." — Byron. 

I SHALL never forget the freshness and beauty of 
the forest, after winter had passed away. The spring 
flowers were everywhere in bloom, the herbage high 
and luxuriant covered the ground, the wild leek was 
green and so abundant that it was used as a substitute 
for onions ; the nettles were frequently four feet high, 
and the ground yew, or running hemlock, with its 
woody vine, often ten feet long and standing two or 
three feet above the surface, spread over many acres, 
presenting a formidable obstruction to the pedestrian, 
particularly if he was barefooted, as men and boys 
generally went in the summer season. 

The winter had passed off, and during the whole 
of it, the cattle had been sustained by occasionally a 
little hay and straw and a few ears of corn ; relying 
principally on browsing, which is feeding on the tops 
of trees that were daily felled for them. They lived 
■ through the winter quite well, and soon became thrifty 
and sleek after the herbage had sprung up. This brow- 
sing was resorted to frequently, and almost every year 
more or less up to 1801-2. 



30 IIEMINISCENCES 

Those only who have resided in a new country, 
where forest scenery in all its richness and beauty is 
presented to the view, can realize how strongly those 
recollections are impressed on the mind. It is no 
marvel to me, that the red man sighs for forest life, 
where, without restraints, imposed by laws and customs 
of civilized society, he roams free as the air he breathes. 
To the man of reflection, who feels responsible to a 
higher power, and looks upon objects around him as 
evidence of the existence of that great and good being, 
■who created, regulates, and sustains all things, I 
can conceive of no place or circumstance so well 
calculated to impress the sensitive mind with awe 
and veneration, as the deep seclusion of the forest. 
Often, very often, when a mere boy, have I repaired 
to a secluded spot, where there was a clump of 
pine trees, and sat under them for hours together, 
listening to the sighing of the winds in the topmost 
branches. The slightest motion of air might be 
heard, in fact, I have hardly ever known the atmo- 
sphere so still, that it did not agitate and rustle through 
the tops of those evergreens. If it was but a shght 
breeze it produced a soothing hum, well calculated 
to calm the mind and induce contemplation ; while if 
the blast was violent, there was the loud resound- 
ing roar through the branches ; giving incontestible 
proof that the "stormy king," could invigorate those 
gentle gales and convert them to the more stern ex- 
hibitions of " storm and tempest." What temple 
*' made with hands," so raises the feelings of the con- 
templative mind, as the vast creation of forest, nver 
and lake ? The beautiful archway of heaven, with 
sun, moon and stars hung out as jewels, to shadow 
forth the Almighty, as far surpass in magnificent 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 31 

grandeur, the vast cathedral with richest ornaments, 
and rendered vocal by organs and anthems, as the 
light of the sun at mid-day exceeds the glimmering 
of the fire-fly at night. Sterne, in his Tristam Shandy, 
puts the following sentiment in the mouth of Uncle 
Toby, " a soldier may pray in the trench, as accept- 
ably as the parson in the church," and so may he 
in the woods. 

For several years each family made its own cloth, 
from wool and flax ; and even sacks and coarse 
garments from nettles, which were strong and durable 
like hempen cloth. It must be borne in mind that 
carding and picJcing machines had not then been in- 
vented, and if they had, were not introduced in the 
country till many years afterwards. The sheep being 
washed and sheared, the wool must first be picked 
by hand, and this was generally done by the 
family in the evening ; then it must be greased and 
broke as they called it, and afterwards carded into 
rolls by hand, when it was fit for spinning. Each 
family kept a great wheel, and a little wheel, the first 
for wool and tow, and the other for flax; many also 
had a loom, for almost every family wove their own 
cloth, either at home or at their neighbours. At my 
father's they had a loom and each kind of wheel, and 
after the country became settled and we had advanced 
a little, so as "to be able to do in the world," as the old 
women used to say; we always had a spinning girl, 
and sometimes two, a considerable part of each season. 

Our mode of life for several years was plain, coarse 
and primitive. Tea was scarcely known, and not at all 
as a common beverage, till three or four years after we 
were settled. Coffee was not introduced till several 
years later. Sugar was made from the maple every 



32 REMINISCENCES 

spring, and salt obtained from Albany in small quan- 
tities. I think we had been in the country three or four 
years, before any one thought of buying tea, except 
perhaps a quarter or half pound of lohea, which was 
only d.pled out, when the women came together for an 
afternoon visit, and then only to them ; labouring men 
did not expect it. 

A substitute for tea and coffee was often procured 
from a root that grew in wet ground, which was called 
cvin root, but I do not know its botanical name. When 
boiled, the decoction was somewhat of a chocolate 
colour, though rather inclining to purple. The flavour 
was remarkably pleasant when sweetened, and was 
generally preferred to tea. The inner portion of white 
pine bark, when boiled, and sweetened, makes a plea- 
sant drink, and so does the sassafras root. 

Let me describe those early female visits. A lady 
wanted her neighbours to come and make her a visit 
and spend the afternoon ; mind you, an afternoon ; the 
meaning of which was, to come as soon as they had 
the dishes washed after dinner, which was at twelve 
o'clock. They would come on foot three miles, and 
remain as late as they could, and reach home in time 
to milk the cows at night. They always had their tea 
as early as five or six o'clock, and those farthest off 
then started for home, through the woods. Some were 
timid and afraid of bears, and with those, some one 
would go and see them safely through swamps, and 
dangerous places. 

Sometimes a bear would present himself, just to 
frighten them, but generally scampered off ; for it is 
seldom that he will make an attack, unless very hungry, 
or when young ones are in peril. 

Generally speaking, the ladies were resolute ; and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 33 

went everywhere without fear. Their dress was plain, 
cheap and simple. A black skirt, and white or calico 
short gown, with occasionally a full calico, or chintz 
dress, constituted the top of the fashion. High heeled 
shoes were worn, which were fastened and adorned by 
a small buckle. Sometimes a cap was worn, but not 
generally for the first few years. A bonnet constituted 
the head dress, which on being laid aside, the head was 
without covering. 

It was no uncommon thing, for several years, to 
see married, as well as young ladies, trudging along 
barefoot, with their shoes and stockings in their hands, 
to avoid getting them soiled with mud, and then 
putting them on before they entered the house. 

It was quite common with the ladies, to couple 
with their visits a quilting, or spinning, or carding bee. 
The carding and quiltings, were done at the house, 
where the visit, or bee was to be consummated. The 
spinning was a different affair. When a spinning bee 
was to come off, the wool or flax, in small quantities 
was distributed among the invited guests ; and the day 
indicated when they were to bring in the yarn and 
drink tea. The yarn was returned, and the good dames 
drank their tea, talked over neighbourhood affairs, 
indulged in critical and sometimes even slanderous re- 
marJcs, and then retired to their virtuous homes. To 
suppose there was no gossip and slander in the country, 
because it was new, would indicate but a superficial 
knowledge of female character. 

I may as well throw together, in this place, the 
remarks intended to be made in reference to the early 
habits and modes of life, which will apply to a series of 
years after the settlement as well as the few first years ; 
and as we had no aristocratic associations in those early 



34 REMINISCENCES 

times, my remarks apply to the bone and sinew, the 
real democracy of the country. Those men, with 
strong arms, hard hands, and iron frame, might daily 
be seen, wending their way with knapsack on their 
backs, an axe lashed on the outside, and with gun on 
their shoulder, seeking a favorite resting place, prepared 
to grapple with the hardships and privations of frontier 
life, till the forests could be prostrated, the country 
improved, and the modes of civilized life and luxurious 
living, could take the place of unmitigated toil. Their 
wives, generally speaking, were equally industrious, 
and nobly sustained the exertions of their husbands. 

The settlement of the town, after the first year or 
two, went on rapidly ; men were rough and hardy, 
and all public occasions wound up with trials of 
strength. Wrestling, running, jumping, and hopping, 
always constituted part of the amusements. Logging 
bees and raisings, were of frequent occurrence. The 
party making the bee, or raising, furnished himself with 
some poor rum, as an indispensable article to ensure 
success ; if he did not, he was regarded as a mean 
covetous fellow, and his work would be poorly done, 
if done at all. Whiskey was not then introduced, nor 
till several subsequent years. 

After the building was raised, or the bee concluded, 
the party collected to take the last drink, and then the 
sports commenced. Almost invariably a ring was 
formed for wrestling, and frequently commenced 
with boys, the men looking on. The boy thrown, 
would bring in one to wrestle with the victor, and so on 
till all had wrestled, and the one was victor, who 
could keep the ring against all comers ; so also with the 
men, who never expected to separate without a goodly 
number of wrestling matches. This practice was very 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 35' 

generally continued as late as 1S07. I have never 
seen so good wrestlers as those early settlers in Rich- 
field. The Col well family, take them as a whole, were 
the best in town. Isaac and Robert, who have been 
dead many years, were very powerful ; Samuel, yet 
alive, about four years older than myself, was master 
among the boys. 

I became skilful in all these sports, understood 
them well, and in a rough and tumble scuffle, or at side 
hold, there were but few of my age I could not throw. 
Every lock, in wrestling, was familiar, and I knew 
how and when to take them, and how and when to 
lay out my strength to accomplish my object. I was 
quick and but few men, even much larger and stronger 
than myself, but I could more than match. 

I have spoken of logging. Having been familiar 
with clearing up new land from my early childhood, 
let me describe the process. The ground to be cleared 
being selected, the first move is to cut all the under- 
brush and small trees, generally called staddles. The 
brush are trimmed out and heaped in suitable places, and 
all such small trees, as can conveniently be handled, 
are cut and thrown on the heaps, with the old fallen 
limbs of trees ; the small ones being cut near the 
ground. You are now ready to cut the large timber; 
and here great judgment must be used in falling it, so 
that you can log it to advantage. Trees should be so 
fallen as to be parallel with each other, and if on hilly 
land, should be fallen in such a manner that on lo2fo:in2r 
they may be rolled down hill. Those cut up should be 
in logs, fourteen or fifteen feet long, according to their 
size. By skilful falling much chopping may be saved, 
by leaving many large trees to be piled against, on 
making log heaps. 



36 REMINISCENCES 

Hard timber, maple, beech, birch, and elm, pre- 
dominated in that part of Otsego county; the timber 
being very heavy. A good chopper would cut his acre 
and pile the brush in seven or eight days : I have known 
it done in less. At the age of twenty-two years I could 
cut an acre in seven days, but as a general average 
men would be from seven to ten days, particularly if 
several worked together. Chopping is hard, but clean 
work, and I was fond of it. A man going into the woods 
with his axe, soon makes an opening, which being 
enlarged daily, serves to encourage and stimulate him 
to vigorous action. The trees being chopped and 
brush piled, if done in May or June, should be left 
through July and August, by which time they become 
so dry, that the fire frequently runs over the whole 
ground, burning all the brush, many of the logs, and 
blackening those that remain. This would be regarded 
as a good hum, leaving the soil clean of weeds, and 
herbage. Then follows the logging and burning the 
log heaps, most dirty, smoky, disagreeable work. Three 
men and a yoke of oxen would log an acre per day, 
sometimes more, if the timber was light, and well 
felled and cut. The ashes, worth 6^ cents, must be 
scraped together, and carried to an ashery, to make 
black salts, and eventually pearl or potash. All this 
being done, the land was ready for harrowing and 
reception of seed ; after which the fences could be 
made at pleasure. 

It was not uncommon to make sugar in the spring, 
on a piece of forest land, and then clear it off for a crop 
of corn the same season. Several acres of my father's 
lands, where he afterwards planted his orchard, were 
thus used, and cleared off; the small brush had been 
cut the preceding autumn. When the time arrived for 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. S7 

making sugar, the trees were tapped and a large 
quantity made. As the season advanced, we cut the 
small timber, heaped the brush, and got everything 
ready to cut the large trees, as soon as sugar making 
was over; that being past, we cut and burned all the 
timber, and cleared the land for a crop. 

The month of May was warm and dry, when on 
burning the brush, the fire ran over all the ground 
clearing it of herbage, so that we had but little harrow- 
ing to do, to fit it for planting. It was nearly the first 
of June when we planted, but the corn was soon up, 
grew rapidly, and with but little more than one slight 
dressing with the hoe, we had fifty bushels of good 
corn to the acre, with any quantity of large yellow 
pumpkins. After the corn was planted, and the ground 
fenced, we had to trap and shoot the striped squirrels, 
to protect the corn, as those little animals have an in- 
veterate desire to dig it up, to obtain the grain at the 
root. Those burnings of new lands, in dry weather, 
frequently extend beyond the ground intended to be 
cleared, and rage furiously in the woods. Every one 
who has long resided in a new country has seen the 
woods on fire ; nothing can be more grand than their 
appearance at night, when the fire rages among dry' 
and partially decayed trees. The flames, as they are 
fanned by the breeze, seem to flash out and leap fit- 
fully from tree to tree ; then, subsiding for a moment, will 
break out again as the wind freshens. Frequently the 
fire rapidly ascends a dry tree till it reaches the top- 
most branches, and then becomes, from bottom to top, 
a mass of flame, vivid and transparent ; the atmosphere 
becomes charged with smoke, the heavens enlightened 
by the thousand fires, the roar of the flames, the 
crackling of dry Fimbs and fagots, with the frequent 



3S . REMINISCENCES 

tiiundeiing of the large trees as ihey fall to the ground, 
render the scene grand, imposing and magnificently 
brilliant. Cooper, in his Pioneer, has given a graphic 
picture of a burning forest, the best by far that I have 
seen ; and yet grand and truthful as that description is> 
it comes far short of realit}'-, as all know who have wit- 
nessed similar exhibitions. 

It seems to me we had much more thunder during 
those early years than we have latterly ; if it was so, 
it might have resulted from accidental and natural 
causes, some years more than others ; or may there 
not be more electricity in the atmosphere, when a 
country is new and uncultivated, than after it is cleared 
and subjected to the free unobstructed rays of the sun ? 

I was caught out in a storm that made a very lively 
impression on my mind, as well as subjecting me to a 
tremendous drenching. I must have been thirteen or 
fourteen years of age, and had been sent that afternoon 
three miles to the nearest blacksmith to have the plough- 
share sharpened. In those days we used the old- 
fashioned hull plough, with wrought iron coulters and 
shares, which frequently required sharpening. The 
share was put in one end of a bag, and the coulter in 
the other, and was thrown on the back of the old brown 
mare and I on the top of it. 

In new countries, where there is not much work 
required from the blacksmith, except those occasional 
jobs, he generally works in the fields a large portion of 
time ; and this was the case with the one whom I wanted 
to see. lie came from the field, and though short of 
coal, managed to raise sufficient heat to do the work ; 
but manifested no desire hurry it. When he had got 
through, it was nearly night, and a thunder storm was 
coming from the west. He put the bag, with share and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. ^ 39 

coulter on the mare, and I started for home. Nearly 
the whole way was through the woods, and my load 
being unequally balanced, I had to ride slow, so that 
before I was one-third of the way home, the storm was 
upon me. The rain poured down, the wind blew furi- 
ously, and the hghtning was vivid and constant. It 
soon became so dark, that I could not see objects a yard 
from me, not even the horse's head, except by the 
glare of the lightning, when the flashes were so bright 
they seemed to blind me for a moment, and then left 
me in more than natural darkness. The only way for 
me, unless I had abandoned the load, was to hold it 
on as well as possible, and let the mare take her own 
course but not go faster than a walk, as her trot would 
have thrown off the bag, and probably me with it. 

The thunder followed the lightning in quick succes- 
sion, crash after crash, and so near that the old mare 
would shudder and tremble under me, while the light- 
ning seemed to leap from tree to tree. It was a most 
sublime spectacle, could one have been sheltered from 
the fury of the storm and felt himself safe and free 
from danger. The roaring of the wind, the waving 
of the trees, interlocking their branches with each 
other, the frequent crash of those thrown down by the 
force of the tempest and the vivid lightning, all com- 
bined, rendered the night terrific. 

Then the forked chain-like lightning in the distance, 
as the thunder cloud advanced, and the heavy rever- 
beration of the distant thunder, intermixed with that 
near at hand, could not fail to impress with awe, if 
not terror, one of sterner stuff than myself. The rain 
raised some of the streams so that they were nearly 
impassable in the dark. 

I reached home about ten o'clock, drenched through 



40 ^ REMINISCENCES 

and through, and nearly exhausted in holding the un- 
balanced load. 

In 1797-S or 9, (I think in '98) we had the most 
severe storm of thunder, lightning and rain, that I have 
ever known. The shower came from the west about 
five o'clock in the afternoon, and at its commencement 
was accompanied with wind and hail. It passed off to the 
east, and then the current of air seemed to change, 
which brought it back, so that it appeared as if two 
storms had met over head, to contend for mastery 
through the night ; there was a continual flashing of 
lightning, and roar of thunder till daylight ; much of 
it was in our immediate vicinity, and a large sugar 
maple was struck within a few rods of the house : the 
trunk was cleft in twain, so that it could be seen through 
its whole length though it remained standing till the 
next day, when it fell down. That storm extended all 
over the country and was long remembered. The June 
term of the common pleas, was in session at Coopers- 
lown, where the storm raged with equal fury as 
elsewhere ; our large meadow was flooded with water 
nearly a foot deep. The Susquehanna river was so 
swollen, that a boy who was in the woods after cattle, 
was caught out, and remained in a tree top through the 
night, not deeming it safe to attempt to cross the river 
in the dark. The next morning he got across, by 
making an ox swim and he held by his tail, and was thus 
ferried over. 

This mode of crossing the Scioto river in Ohio, I have 
frequently seen resorted to in high water. While re- 
siding there, 1 had an ox, a fine large gentle fellow, w^ho 
often carried me across that river, and sometimes when 
the water was so deep that he had to swim a short 
distance. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 41 

He seemed pleased when he had an opportunity to 
oblige his friends in this way, and was generally re- 
■ paid for his kindness with many ears of corn given 
to him at times rather out of season for his regular food. 
An incident occurred in the early part of the storm, 
that I have just described,whichde3erves notice. Several 
neighbours as it came on took shelter in Mr. Edson's 
log-tavern, where there was a large stick chimney 
that admitted much hail and rain in the fire place 
and on the hearth. With the hail and rain that 
came pattering down, was a fish of the chub kind, 
about eight inches long, such as the boys used 
to catch with pin hooks in the brooks; he flopped 
about precisely as if thrown on land from the water, 
and was not injured ; on being put in a pail of water, 
he swam about perfectly well. I have heard doubts 
expressed, whether fish are ever taken up, and then 
rained down, but I do not suppose there is any doubt 
about it ; for what I have related 1 saw, and am sure 
the fish was not there by any other means. Water 
spouts at sea are familiar to all sailors, when vast 
columns of water are taken up, and no doubt fish with 
them, and are afterwards precipitated on the ocean, 
though of rare occurrence on land. 

Let me leave this subject to relate a family inci- 
dent, somewhat out of place but illustrative of the 
custom of the times. A few ^'■ears after our settlement, 
a surveyor came there and was employed by my father 
and uncles to subdivide the lot, and run out and mark 
the lines of their respective farms ; my father and three 
of his brothers were engaged, one carried the flag, two 
the chain, and the other an axe to clear away the 
brush, mark the line trees, and set and mark the corners. 

On driving the last stake, and marking the witness 



42 REMINISCENCES 

trees of my father's farm, his brothers determined to 
whip him, to make him remember the corner; they 
prepared themselves with whips nearly as long and 
large as were used to drive oxen, and he procured one 
for defence equally as efficacious. To guard and pre- 
vent an attack from the rear, he placed his back against 
a large tree, which while it sheltered his back, warded 
off the blows they attempted to give him. They 
approached him in front, and he gave two of them each 
a hearty thwack across their shoulders and back, that 
raised ridges as large as the small finger, they struck 
at him but the tree warded off the force of their blows; 
and to bring the contest to a close, one of my uncles, a 
large strong man, more than six feet high, rushed in and 
grasping my father round the waist, threw him down, but 
he kept his whip, and gave them two more cuts after he 
was down. The contest ended, they got up, my uncles 
had the worst of it, for the whip had made a lively 
impression on the outer man ; and my father had 
enough of it, to impress him forcibly with the remem- 
brance of that corner. All was in good nature, regrets 
were expressed that either should have been hurt, the 
surveyor laughed, and the affair was settled. As I am on 
incidents, let me relate another which happened a few 
years afterwards. We had a log school house, near a 
pine swamp. It was sabbath day, and Parson Nash, after- 
wards, and for many years, favourably known as father 
NashjWas to preach in the school-house. He was a pioneer 
in the new country, and I suppose is the "Parson Grant," 
that Cooper had in his mind's eye, when he wrote the 
" Pioneers." My father and a young man were going 
in the morning to build a fire in the school house, when 
they heard an outcry in the swamp of dogs and boys ; 
presently a large bear came in sight, followed in close 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 43 

pursuit by two dogs, the one a large spirited animal fit 
for a fight, the other a yelping whiffit or fiste, fit only 
to make a noise and pester an adversary. Two boys 
armed with clubs, who owned the dogs, and were 
following the bear, soon made their appearance. The 
dogs kept close to the bear, and would run up and snap 
his hinder parts, particularly when he clambered over 
logs, and as he turned to make fight or give them a 
slap, would break and fall back. They so annoyed 
him that he ran up several trees, but would come down 
in spite of the dogs, when the boys approached, and 
would shew his heels, the dogs constantly annoying him. 
My father armed himself with a club and joined in 
pursuit, sending back for his gun. 

The messenger came, almost out of breath, and I 
followed him on his return. Bruin, in the meantime, 
hotly pursued, had treed several times, and would 
come down as before. The noise of the dogs, and 
shouts of the pursuers, brought my old grandfather, 
one of my uncles, and some others, with several 
strange dogs, into the swamp before the gun arrived. 
Bruin had gone up a large pine, and my father had 
reached the tree, and stood on one side, and my uncle, 
with an axe, on the other ; the dogs were barking, and 
the bear looking down upon them. The large brindle 
dog, who first followed him, got into a fight with one 
of the others, and this, bruin regarded as a favorable 
moment to attempt an escape ; losing his hold, so as to 
slide down the tree, he came down stern foremost, 
almost as quick as his weight would have brought him 
had he fallen, making the bark fly, as he scraped his 
way down with his nails. He came on the side, where 
my uncle stood with the axe, who gave him a large 
flesh wound, but it neither impaired his strength or 



44 REMINISCENCES 

disabled him from running. The axe, as it slipped 
from the bear, struck the brindle dog in the mouth, 
as he ran up to seize him, and cut out two of his teeth. 
The bear was off, and the dogs at his heels so annoyed 
him, that he soon ran up another pine, where resting 
himself, with his neck partly over a limb, some fifty or 
sixty feet high. He watched the proceedings below. 

The gun arrived, and was charged with pigeon or 
squirrel shot ; for neither ball or buck shot were to be 
had. My father tore off a rag and wrapped in it as 
many shot as he could force down the barrel, intending 
to make a sort of cartridge, that should keep the shot 
more closely together, when they were discharged. 
This being done, and the priming being replenished 
with fresh powder, a short consultation was had, as to 
the best place to shoot the varmint. 

My father decided on shooting him in the throat, as he 
projected his head over the limb; and then the old 
patriarch, my grandfather, interposed his advice, with 
suggestions as to the beauty and importance of holding 
the gun steady, and making sure aim. It was well 
directed, and on being discharged, bruin tumbled to 
the ground ; but with a skill, peculiar to the animal, 
fell Hke an old rug, apparently unhurt by the fall. He 
was up and off in a moment, followed by the dogs, 
yelling and yelping lilve so many fiends. The blood 
flowed copiously from the wound, like a stuck hog, so 
that it was apparent the shots had well performed their 
office. A run of twenty-five rods exhausted him, and 
he gave up. He was of the long legged brawny kind, 
large, though not very fat, but was well fitted for a 
fifrht or a race. 

O 

He was dragged out of the swamp, a team was 
sent for, and poor bruin was toted to Edson's log tavern, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 45 

where the whole congregation, with Father Nash, as- 
sembled. Mr. Edson brought out his poor rum, gave the 
company a treat, himself included ; and the bear, having 
his skin pulled oflf, was soon turned into lear meat, and 
distributed. Father Nash ate of it at supper and made 
himself sick ; the hunt had spoiled his forenoon services, 
for the bear had more attraction than the worthy parson. 
He however rather admitted that it was a good christian 
act to destroy the dangerous animal on the sabbath ; 
and if not precisely within the canons of the church, 
the offence was venial, and should be overlooked. 

It is wonderful how much a small resolute dog, that 
is fleet of foot, and understands his business, can annoy 
a bear. Neither a small or large dog should risk a fight, 
but by running up and snapping his hinder parts, and 
breaking and falling back, when the bear turns upon 
them, they soon pester him so that he takes to the tree. 

A few years, after the incident just related, another 
bear, much larger and fatter than the former, was 
killed in the same swamp. He had been marauding 
the night before in a young orchard, regaling himself 
on sweet apples, of which the bear is very fond. He 
was encountered by a resolute bull dog, who was on 
the watch, and with the courage, for which his kind is 
distinguished, laid hold of bruin for a regular set too ; 
precisely what the bear wanted, for he fully compre- 
handed that sport, and gave the dog a hug and a slap 
with his great paw and long nails, that knocked the 
old* fellow over ; inflicting wounds from which bull never 
recovered. The bear had struck his nails nearly into 
the cavity of the dog's body, tearing and lacerating 
him severely. 

Bruin, by this exploit, had disabled his adversary, 
and very well pleased with his supper of apples, and 



4^ REMINISCENCES 

his night's performance ; made off for the swamp. The 
next morning several went in pursuit, and occasionally 
finding his track, they, with the assistance of dogs, 
soon came upon him, where he was reposing himself, 
near a large pine, and he was disabled by a musket 
ball and then killed. He was fat and weighed four 
hundred pounds. Old hull was game, and had hobbled 
along with the party, and though he was too lame to 
run, he assisted in noseing and scenting the track. On 
coming up with the disabled bear, the old dog was 
very savage, and seemed determined to be avenged for 
the injuries inflicted the night before. This was his 
last effort, for he soon pined away and died ; no doubt 
from the wounds he had received, which never healed 
up. 

As I am upon hear stories, I must relate one more 
that occurred many years afterwards, when the last 
one was killed, in Cherry valley. 

A man, who had come through the woods, across 
the hills, came to my office in the morning, and said 
he had seen a bear in an apple tree, a mile and a half 
from the village. He came to me, because he knew I 
always had my gun and ammunition ready ; and that 
I had an excellent hound, old Primo. 

It was in September, and the apples were so far 
advanced, as to be inviting ; and bruin had selected a 
tree that bore sweet apples, for his breakfast. Primo 
was called, and I was soon on my horse galloping 
away as fast as possible, hoping to reach the tree befofe 
the bear had left it. When within half a mile of it, the 
dog struck a track, or rather scent (for I could see no 
track) and started off in full cry, towards a large forest 
on the hiU. From the eagerness of the dog to pursue, 
I knew he had a fresh track, and thought it possibly 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 47 

might be the trail of the bear ; though more probably a 
fox, as Primo had never followed a bear, but was 
familiar with foxes, and delighted to follow them. With 
some diflficulty, I called him off, and made him go with 
me to the apple tree, which he did with reluctance. 
The bear was gone, but Primo scented him, and run- 
ning to the tree, reared up and looked eargerly into its 
top ; then taking a circle round it, to ascertain which 
way he had gone, took his trail, and hurried off through 
brush and briars at a tremendous rate, towards where 
he first struck it as he came up. 

I went back, as fast as possible, to reach the road 
as soon as the dog, for it was now apparent that the 
trail he had first struck, was that of the bear. To reach 
the forest on the hill, I had to get through, or over several 
fences, so that Primo was soon half a mile a head of 
me, running at the top of his speed, and giving tongue 
every jump. 

As soon as I had started from the village, it was 
noised about that I had gone after a bear, and this 
started out a dozen interlopers, with as many dogs. Primo 
was so vehement in his cry, that several dogs heard and 
followed him to the woods, where some of the party, 
running across the fields, arrived. He soon started 
the bear, and drove him up a tree, when several well 
directed shots, brought him down. Bruin was carried 
in triumph to the village, where, on disrobing him, he 
was found to be young, fat and tender, and constituted 
the main portion of a feast, a few evenings afterwards ; 
his flesh proving very fine and acceptable. When he 
fell to the ground, on being shot, Primo eagerl}'- laid 
hold of him, and jerked him about before he was dead; 
determined to have his share of the sport. 

It was singular that he should have followed the 



43 REMINISCENCES 

track so well, for he had never before hunted a bear or 
seen one ; but he was a dog of great sagacity, and 
seemed to know instinctively what was wanted of him. 
I have known many dogs, more fleet on foot, but none 
had a better nose, or more cheering cry than Primo, or 
enjo3'ed a frolic better than he. 

After this transaction, he and my other two hounds, 
Hunter and Dash, fought two bears in the street. They 
were a little more than half grown, and belonged to a 
traveUing showman, who carried them in his wagon, 
confined in a cage ; and laid the village boys under a 
contribution, for a sight of his interesting quadrupeds. 
After getting all he could from the boys, I gave him 
two dollars to let his bears out for the fight. The dogs 
soon drove one of them up a horse post, and the other 
into a grocer's cellar, where he attempted to escape 
among the barrels, but was followed by them, and 
would have been killed, had not the proprietor inter- 
posed with his whip. They were so eager for the fight, 
and exasperated at the interference, that it was as much 
as I could do to call them off, and prevent their killing 
the bear, and attacking the owner. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 49 



CHAPTER IV. 

Primitive Mode of Extracting Teeth. — Wedding, Death, and 
Funeral. • — Organization of Otsego County. — Judge 
Cooper and others. — Early Schools. — Sugar Making. — 
Scarcity of Boolis. — Town Ziihrary. — Otsego Herald. — 
Washington's Death. — Commencement of present Century. 
— Early Treachers. — Judge Peck. — Old Family Clock, 
with Reflections. — First Visit to Albany. 

It Is time lo go back to more early incidents, than some 
of those related in the preceding chapter. Richfield 
when first organized as a town, comprised what is now 
Richfield, Plainfield, Exeter, and part of Winfield. In 
our part of it (the present town of Richfield,) there 
were no residents when we went there, except a family 
or two, four miles east of us, who lived in a log house, 
on the Tunnicliff Farm, built before or immediately after 
the revolutionary War, near the present Richfield 
springs. There was no road or pathway between that 
settlement and ours; in passing from one place to the 
other, the marked trees on the line of lots were 
generally followed. My father used to keep a lancet, 
with which he would open a vein, whenever it was 
necessary to let blood, for it was several years before 
we had a physician near us. If a tooth required to be 
extracted he had a primitive mode and quite effective. 
My uncle had a large double tooth that pained him 
excessively, so that he could have no rest day or night till 
it was removed. lie came and said it must be drawn ; 
and as there was no turn screw or other instrument 
4 



50 KExMINISCENCES 

for drawing teeth In the neighbourhood, a piece of hard 
seasoned wood was prepared to serve as a punch, and 
my uncle placing his head against the wall of the 
house, to keep it firm and steady, my father adjusting 
the punch against the offending tooth, gave it a smart 
blow with a hammer, loosening it from its socket, and 
then pulled it out with pincers. 

Let me describe the first wedding, which was the 
marriage of a sister of my mother, who was married to 
Ebenezer Russell ; the marriage was at my father's, 
in the log house: I do not remember how the parties 
were dressed, but no doubt in their best gear. Judge 
Cooper, of Cooperstown was sent for, being the nearest 
magistrate, and came eighteen miles principally through 
the woods, to perform the ceremony. The neighbours 
were invited, the old pine table was in the middle of 
the room, on which I recollect was placed a large 
wooden bowl filled with fried cakes, (nut cakes or 
dough nuts, as the country people call them.) There 
might have been something else to constitute the 
marriage feast, but I do not recollect any thing except 
a black junk bottle filled with rum ; some maple sugar, 
and water. The judge was in his long riding boots, 
covered with mud up to his knees, his horse was fed, 
that he might be off when the ceremony was over ; the 
parties presented themselves, and were soon made 
man and wife as his "Honor" officially announced. 
He then gave the bride a good hearty kiss, or rather 
smack, remarking that he always claimed that as his 
fee ; took a drink of rum, drank health, prosperity and 
long life to those married, ate a cake or two, declined 
staying even for supper, said he must be on his way 
home, and should go to the foot of the lake that night, 
refused any other fee for his services, mounted his horse 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 51 

and was off; and thus was the first marriage celebrated. 
The few other guests who were in attendance, re- 
mained and partook of as good a meal as the house 
could afford. 

I may as well speak of the first death and funeral, 
that followed soon after, I think within a year. There 
had to be sure been a man killed, within the boundaries 
of the town, by the fall of a tree a short time before, 
but he was regarded as an itinerant, looking for land, 
rather then as an inhabitant of the town. My aunt, 
whose marriage I have just related, went into a 
consumption and died at my father's in the spring, soon 
after the leaves and flowers had put forth. A small 
elm stood by the brook near the house, on which a pair 
of yellow robins {Baltimore orioles,) made a nest that 
year for the first time, and resorted there many succeed- 
ing years. The singing of that bird is sweet and 
plaintive, we all listened to it, and my mother and her 
poor sick sister, both strongly tinctured with Dutch 
superstitions, believed the bird to have come there to 
announce the death. How strange it is, and how like 
an exercise of reason or memory, that those birds will 
come back to the same nest for many years in succes- 
sion. My family will all remember the pair, that used 
to come year after year to that beautiful elm on my lot, 
back of Cherry Valley academy. 

One word in passing relative to that fine elm. In 
the years 1798 — 9, it was a small sapling. An officer 
on recruiting service, for John Adams'' army, as it was 
called, was stationed at Cherry Valley: one of his 
soldiers had offended, and on being sentenced to be 
whipped, was tied to that tree. The late Major Lester 
Holt, was present at the whipping, and has told me, that 
he recollected the soldier was tied to that part of the 



52 REMINISCENCES 

tree above the first limbs or branches, " above its forks 
or prongs" as he expressed it. The shaft of the tree 
must be now more than two feet in diameter, perfectly 
straight, and nearly of the same size up to where it 
branches out. He made the remark in reference to the 
branches now being nearly or quite thirty feet from 
the ground, which he said, had been carried up as the 
trunk grew larger and shot up higher. But to return 
to the funeral : during her sickness my father had pro- 
vided some pine boards for a coffin, which after her 
death, he made himself and stained it black. The 
neighbours assembled ; we had no clergy m.an, for at 
that day there was none in that vicinity; Timothy 
Hatch, father of Hon. Moses P. Hatch, of Oswego, 
read a chapter, and at the grave a hymn, " why do we 
mourn departing friends?" With these humble cere- 
monies the body was deposited in its " narrow house," 
then "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," 
were pronounced, a rough stone was planted at the 
head ; and there the remains have rested for sixty 
years. As I am on early incidents, let me refer to the 
organization of the county of Otsego, which was set 
off from Montgomery, (formerly Tryon) in Februar}'-, 
1791. William Cooper was first judge, and Jedediah 
Peck was one of the judges. My father was made 
justice of the peace, at an early day after the county 
was organized. A day was agreed upon for all those 
appointed, to meet at Cooperstown to take the oath of 
office, and receive their commissions. My father got a 
new blue coat rather short, which was pronounced by 
a country tailor, " a handsome genteel coat." I re- 
collect a rather coarse' pair of white top'd boots for the 
occasion. At the appointed time he went, and I think 
walked there and back, which was as well as to ride, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 53 

as the roads then were. He stayed all night, and with 
those that met there, must have had a hard time of it 
at Griffin's tavern, "the Bold Dragoon of the Pioneers," 
for he came home lame, partly from an injury in a scuffle 
pulling off each other's boots nolens volens, and partly 
from walking so far in his new ones. 

Among the justices, was James Aplin, an honest, 
worthy but rather vain man, who lived in Hartwick. 
Thej"" used to tell this anecdote of him ; but whether 
true or false I cannot state. It was said, that on his 
return home, he remarked to his befter half, " my dear, 
last night you slept with James Aplin ; to-night with 
James Aplin, esquire ; God bless my good friend, 
Judge Cooper." 

As Judge Cooper has been introduced, I may as 
well relate an incident witnessed by my father, not far 
from this lime, and lam not sure but the very time he 
went to Cooperstown to receive his commission. I have 
thought it strange that James F. Cooper, the novelist, 
has not introduced it in some of his works, and once 
SDoke to him about it and related the circumstances, 
as my father described them. A wrestling match was 
got up, in front of Griffins ; where a ring was formed, 
and the parties matched for the contest. Judge Cooper 
said he was a wrestler himself; and believed he could 
throw any man in the county ; and further, that he 
wanted to find a man on his patent, who could throw 
him ; remarking, that he would give any one in the 
company, one hundred acres of land, who would throw 
him at arms length. Timothy Morse, who I have else- 
where mentioned as a strong man, stepped up and laying 
his hands on the judge's shoulder, said, " Cooper, I 
believe I can lay you on your back." Cooper replied 
" If you can I will give you one hundred acres." A 



54 REMINISCENCES 

ring was formed, and at it they went, and Morse soon 
brought him to the position indicated. The judge got 
up and ordered Richard Smith, his clerk, to make 
out the necessary papers for one hundred acres. 

This Richard Smith was the first sheriff of the 
county. Whether a deed was executed for this one 
hundred acres, or the value of the land deducted from 
a previous or other purchase, 1 am not positive ; but 
have always supposed Morse resided on the identical 
hundred acres in Burlington. There is no doubt, I pre- 
sume, of the wrestling match, and that one hundred 
acres was at stake ; for the contest is still remembered 
b}'" some of the old inhabitants, who point out the place 
where they wrestled, near the corner of the present 
Eagle tavern, formerly Griffin's. 

When I mentioned this to James F. Cooper, he re- 
marked " that it used to be fashionable to wrestle where 
his father was brought up, and from whence he removed 
toOtsego county ; and that William Penn was a cele- 
brated wrestler, and introduced and encouraged this with 
other athletic sports among his colonists." 

It is generally known that a small portion of Otsego 
county was settled at a much earlier day than 1790. 
Cherry Valley was commenced about 1740 or '41, and 
when the revolution broke out, contained a good num- 
ber of inhabhants, who were generally of Scotch and 
Irish descent. In the north part of Springfield, a few 
Dutch families had settled, and at Unadilla, Butternuts, 
and present town of Otsego, a few English families 
had located before the war. But the great body of the 
county was a wilderness in 1790. 

Samuel Crafts, esq. who has recently died in the town 
of Hartwick, a few miles from Cooperstown, at a very 
advanced age, came from Connecticut to Springfield, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 55 

a few years after the war. He had been a revolution- 
ary soldier, and must have been nearly the first new 
Englander that came to the county ; having arrived 
there several years before its organization. When 
Judge Cooper, the founder of Cooperstown, came, 
Capt. Crafts was living in Springfield, and convej^ed 
the judge in a boat from the head of Otsego lake to 
its foot, where Cooperstown is situated. 

Mr. Crafts was an industrious, worthy, intelligent 
man ; of stern, unbending integrity, and I think was a 
justice in the first commission of the peace ; and foreman 
of the first grand jur}'^ in the county. He was father of 
Willard Crafts, esq., of Utica, a highly respectable 
citizen. 

My readers may wish to know something more of 
our mode of life for the first few years, and what our pro- 
visions were. The mills were poor and flour consequently 
coarse and often black from smutty wheat. The Indian 
corn of course made good meal and johnny cakes, when 
ground, but as it would take two days at least to go 
and return from mill, many families had what they 
called a samp mortar ; that is, a hard log with the end 
cut off square, set on end and hollowed out at top, as 
the Indians prepare theirs for the reception of corn, 
which is then pounded and broken by hand, with a 
pestle : a drawing and description of one, may be seen 
in a recent volume, published by the State, in relation 
to Indian habits and manufactures, (Cabinet of Natural 
History.) 

I have had many a good supper of samp and milk, 
made in this wa3^ The milk and butter were often 
disagreeable, from the cows eating the wild leek, and 
this, when used, was obviated by eating a piece of the 
same, which disguised the leeky taste of the milk and 



56 REMINISCENCES: 0" 

butter. We could always get fish, by going to the 
lake ; and most generally brook trout, for several years, 
from the small streams, where none can be found at 
present. 

I may as well remark, that \vhen we first came to 
the countiy, it was said shad and herring annually 
came up the Susquehanna, to where mill-dams obstructed 
their ascent. As to fresh meat, we had it, as the 
Indian did his, whenever we could get it. Venison 
was quite common, bear meat occassionally, and per- 
haps veal three or four times a year, by dividing round 
and exchanging among our families ; which including 
my grandfather in our circle, were five. When they 
had veal, a pot pie must always be made, and the 
whole tribe congregated, to partake of it. There was 
but one iron pot in the settlement, which belonged to 
my grandfather, and this was sent to the house where 
the feast was to be provided. My grandmother, always 
presided at the making of these pies, and she could 
make them better than any one I eversaw% The dough 
or paste was spread over and round the inside of the 
pot, before the meat was put in ; and when done was 
called the crust. This would come out a little browned 
on the outside, bu't light and tender, not such heav}^, 
clammy stuff, as is too often made now. When it was 
placed on the pine table, on a large pewter platter, it 
was very inviting, and delicious. Good spring water 
was the beverage, each house being placed near a 
spring ; for they had no wells, and if the springs failed 
in summer, they would clear them out, and dig deeper, 
or find a new one. They had no temiierance societies^ 
in those days ; and no one, whether he drank or not, 
deemed it sinful or improper to refresh the inner man, 
when the needful could, be had. After the first year, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 57 

they generally had at their feasts a black junk bottle, 
that would hold a quart of rum, and this was dealt out 
in a wine glass ; about half a gill to each man. Of 
course there was not much intemperance in town, till 
many years afterwards ; and not very much then, or at 
any time. Wild pigeons were plenty, spring and fall, 
and were killed and eaten in great numbers. The 
black and grey squirrel, it is known, hardly ever pre- 
cede civilization, but follow it. We had been there 
several years before any were seen. Foxes also gene- 
rally follow instead of preceding. Martens, or as the 
Indians call them wau-pau-nau-cau, were quite plenty, 
and occasionally an otter, in the larger streams. 

I must say something about schools. My father 
had learned me my letters some time before we had a 
school, and I could spell ba, and soon after baker. 1 
remember his first teaching me my letters. There was 
A, with two feet, i with a dot, round O, Q with a tail, 
crooked S, T with a hat, &c. &c. After six or seven 
families had settled within striking distance, it was de- 
cided that a school house must be built, and a summer 
school started for the children. The house must be 
near water, and must be built where it would best ac- 
commodate its patrons ; accordingly a place was selected, 
the neighbours made a bee, came together, cut away 
the underbrush, and the trees, that were near enoucrh 
to endanger the house. They cut logs, drew them to 
the place, and put up a log house, small but low, and 
the roof nearly flat for several years ; and covered with 
bark. One side was so much elevated by an additional 
log, that the water would run off, and subsequently rafters 
were added, making an ordinary roof, but no floor over 
head. The floor beneath was made of split logs, 
hewed to make them smooth ; and some narrow benches 



5S REMINISCENCES 

made from split logs, supported by legs, were put in 
for the scholars. 

There were no writing tables or desks, but these 
were added afterwards when they wanted to educate 
larger bo3's, and were made by boring into the logs, 
and driving pins to support a sloping board for a writing 
table, so that those who wrote sat with their faces to 
the wall, and their backs to the teacher. 

There was no glass to be had for windows in the 
country, and, as a substitute, a rude sash was made 
and placed in the wall, and this sash was supplied with 
white paper, which being oiled or greased, would let 
in the light and exclude the wind. When the weather 
became cold, a large fire place and stick chimney, 
daubed with mud, were added, and this was the first 
school house in that part of the county. A school was 
kept for several summers by a schoolmistress, who 
boarded round among the proprietors, and in the 
winter by schoolmasters, when the larger bo^^s attended. 
To this school house, scholars were sent from abroad, 
who boarded with the proprietors. 

The boarding of the schoolmistress and master always 
led to one agreeable result. The family lived better, 
and had more of the delicacies and luxuries of life, 
than on ordinary occasions. This rendered boarding 
round popular, among the children at least; for pre- 
paratory to the master or mistress coming, an additi- 
onal quantity of fried cakes must be prepared, and 
mince and other pies, if they could be aflbrded. In 
truth, the master and mistress were regarded as dis- 
tinguished personages. This first house was used for 
several years, when it was deemed advisable to build 
another, further south, to accommodate those living in 
that direction. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 59 

The second one, was a little south of the orchard, 
now on the farm formerl}'' owned by my father, and it 
was in this building, that father Nash was to preach 
when the bear was killed. The schoolboy pranks 
were rude and abundant, as they are at ajl schools. 

The day the second house was completed we had 
some cider brought there, to dedicate the house, being 
the first I had ever tasted, and the first ever brought 
into that part of the town; the cider having been brought 
there by some one from Cherry Valley or Mohawk river. 
The snows fell deep every winter ; the boj'S used to 
wrestle and wallow in the snow, and often fight ; then, 
if the master found it out, they were almost sure to be 
flogged, for the birch and ferule were regarded, in those 
days, as indispensable appendages ; and by frequent 
appliances " the young idea was taught to shoot." In 
winter, all the children were clothed with coarse thick 
home made clothing; they brought their dinner with them 
to school, and after eating it indulged in play of course. 

Those narrow benches were awfully tiresome. 
Children would get tired and sleepy, but their vigilant 
instructors would contrive to stir them up ; sometimes 
by one, and then by other devices. 

The children were of course restless, and wanted to 
go out, which they were permitted to do, once each half 
day, and oftener by special permission. Sometimes 
the instructor so arranged matters in relation to woing 
out, that any one might enjoy that privilege as a matter 
of course, each half day, without asking, provided he 
could go alone, when all others were in school. To 
carry out this provision, a hole was bored in one of the 
logs of the house, in which a loose wooden peg was 
inserted, which any one might take as a passport out 
of the house; and when he had sta3'ed the permitted 



60 REMINISCENCES 

time, he returned and placed the peg In position, which 
might be taken by another without applying to the 
master, and thus disturbing the school. 

The boys were taught by their instructors how to 
make their best bow, and how to address strangers in 
the most formal style : and the girls how to shew off 
their graces, by the most fashionable curtsies. 

Better progress was made in education than could 
have been expected, and nearly all of mine was obtained 
in such schools as I have described. I could always 
read and spell as well, and I thought a little better than 
any in school, and when put to my arithmetic, went 
directly ahead of all competitors. I could play as well 
as any one ; run much better on the snow crust than 
most of them ; always fond of play and frolic ; and 
never doubted but what I could do anydiing that 
others could. This impression has been a leading 
one through life, and to rnj'- perseverance in it, I have 
ascribed much of ray success. That I could not do a 
thing, that wanted doing, never entered ray mind. In 
the winter nearly all the boys went to school, and in the 
summer, those large enough to vi^ork, staid at home 
and worked on the farm ; going barefoot till cold weather 
came ao-ain. This going barefoot in a new country, 
among small stumps and roots, is a bad business. 
The feet get sore, and then to go in the woods among 
the ground yew, was exceedingly annoying to sore feet. 
It was however the fashion of the country and could 
not be avoided ; for shoes were not to be had, except for 
winter, when a cat loMppcr came to the family, with 
kit, and made them. 

The sugar-making season was always hailed with 
rapture by the boys. No one, brought up in a new 
country, but can realize how exciting it was, and how 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 61 

eager and industrious the boys were to commence tap- 
ping the trees. This used to be done by cutting a 
notch in the sugar maple, and putting a spout under it, 
inserted by driving in a partly rounded, sharp iron in- 
strument, called a tapping gouge, to cut a place for the 
spout that led the sap to the trough. Sap buckets were 
not then introduced, nor did they use an auger, as they 
do now, for tapping trees. 

Troughs w^ere generally made from the butternut, 
and would hold about a pailful, and some nearly two. 
The season having arrived, boys with their hand sleds 
would soon distribute the troughs to the trees that were 
to be tapped, by drawing them in the morning on the 
snow crust. Then the master of ceremony would 
follow with his axe, spouts, and tapping gouge ; the 
sharp ringing of the iron, as he drove the gouge into 
the tree, kept all advised where he was. The trees 
being tapped and troughs set, the next thing was to 
shovel away the snow, and prepare a place to hang 
the kettles for boiling. 

I have frequently found the ground covered two or 
three feet deep with snow, entirely free from frost, and 
the young leeks already pricking up through the ground 
and reaching the snow that lay on it. The gathering 
of sap, which had to be done generally with pails, was 
hard work while the snow lasted, as we frequently 
sunk into the snow up to our knees. When the boilinfr 
was commenced, a small piece of pork was thrown in 
the kettle, to prevent the sap, as it boiled, from running 
over. The little chickadee birds are always attracted 
to where one is at work in the woods, and they would 
generally find the spare piece of pork and pick and eat 
it up, unless concealed. The sugaring off, gave great 
delight to the parties present, as every one knows j 



62 REMINISCENCES 

and this sugar making, in a new country, is always to 
boys a delightful employment. When we had a good 
run of sap, as it was called, that is, when it ran freely, 
I have frequently remained in camp, and tended the 
kettles late in the evening. The atmosphere being 
clear and delightful in spring time, the dropping of the 
sap in the troughs could be heard in all directions ; and 
for a considerable distance ; and then the hooting and 
screaming of owls, often very near, being attracted by 
the fire, would, to an unpractised ear, render night 
hideous, discortant and melancholy. 

Before passing to other matters, I may as well 
mention a little incident illustrative of the hardships 
and hardihood of life in a new country. "We had 
been some two or three years at our new home, when 
it seemed to be necessary for some one to return to our 
former residence in Rennsselair county. The principal 
object was to collect in some small debts, and to adjust 
some unsettled matters. My mother wanted to go and 
visit her parents and relatives in Cambridge, Washing- 
ton county, so she concluded to make the visit, and 
then go to HoAsic on business matters. One, and I am 
not sure but two, of my uncles, were going the same 
time to arrange their affairs, so my mother was to go 
with them. They were all to go on horseback, and 
my mother for want of a better, was to ride on a man's 
saddle. We had a high-spirited black horse, which 
she was to ride ; a pillow was strapped on the saddle, 
saddle bags or portmanteaus properly adjusted, and 
thus rigged and equipped, she started off with my 
uncles; I think it was in the fall of 1792, and I am 
quite sure she carried a child. They were to strike the 
Mohawk river at Canajoharie, then across the country 
to Johnstown and Saratoga, and thence to Cambridge. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 63 

I remember how they looked as they started off. 
As soon as they had crossed a small pole bridge, near 
the house, my mother to shew her fearlessness, and 
that she could control her horse, gave him a slight blow, 
that put him into a good round gallop, and they were 
soon out of sight, as they rode along the narrow, crooked 
pathway through the woods. She returned in due 
time, having made the journey comfortably, had a good 
visit, and transacted the business correctly. Every 
woman in a new country soon becomes a fearless rider. 
It is a noble and invigorating exercise, and a woman 
never appears so well as when she is well mounted, on 
a spirited horse. This was the most fashionable mode 
of travelling in that part of the country for many 
years afterwards. Even as late as 1806 — 7, young 
people when they went to a ball, or fashionable 
party, generally went on horseback. It is so yet in 
the new States at the west. Even at Columbus, the 
capital of Ohio, a large proportion of the country 
women come into the city on horseback. I always 
admired the fearless manner in which those bucJc-eye 
women rode. Judge Cooper had a favourite daughter 
killed by a fall from a starting horse, as she was going 
to the town of Butternuts, at a very early day after 
the settlement of the county. I must say something 
about the scarcity of books, and the difficulty of 
obtaining anything like readable matter, except the 
bible, psalm book, and a few other books, till we had 
been several years in the county. Each family had 
a bible and psalm book ; my grandfather had a large 
English bible with the liturgy, and versification of 
the psalms, as used by the English church. The 
bible was printed, the old testament at Oxford, and 
the new testament at London in 1715. He also had 



G4 REMINISCENCES 

a copy of Hudibras, which next to the bible, he regarded 
as superior to all other productions. My father had 
two volumes of Dryden's poems ; and one of my 
uncles a copy of Young's Night Thoughts. This was 
about all the reading matter for four or five families 
in our circle, till a small town library was established 
a few years afterwards. After learning to read, I 
went throujrh with the books I have mentioned, and 
could soon repeat a great number of psalms and 
hymns, and a large portion of Hudibras, as I can 
to this da3\ The library being established, was kept 
about two miles from my father's. The books were 
drawn out, and returned once a month. To encourage 
me to read he very soon after its establishment, used 
to send me to return the books, and draw new ones, 
directing me to select according to my choice. I 
used to read all that were drawn out, and among 
others I recollect reading six volumes of Bruce's travels 
to the sources of the Nile. Grecian and Roman history 
became famihar to me; superficially to be sure, but 
more in detail and incident than I now recollect them. 
That old library was added to, and kept up till 
after I left Richfield, in 1810 ; and I have always 
thought, and have no doubt, that it induced a pro- 
pensity for reading among the farmers, that for many 
years put them a-head for general intelligence, of 
those in other towns where a library was neglected, 
""n imitation of this library among the men, I set on 
foot a project for a library among the boys, and we 
got up quite a respectable juvenile library, which ran 
down about 1805, in consequence of our treasurer 
and librarian misapplying the funds. I do not re- 
member how many years it was after the first 
settlement, before we had a mail in that part of the 



BY LEVI BEAUDSLEY. 65. 

county, but should think six or seven years, and 
probabl}'' more ; newspapers were scarce. The Otsego 
Herald, a very small weekly paper was pubhshed 
by Judge Phiney, and continued for many years ; 
this was almost the only paper that any citizen in 
town had an opportunity of reading. It was some- 
times brought by a post rider ; and at other times a 
class of thirteen was formed, each member going to 
Cooperstown for the papers once a quarter. The 
motto of ihe Herald was kept up as long as it was 
published, 

" Historic truth our Herald shall proclaim, 
The law our guide, the public good our aim." 

With the almost surfeit of newspapers that we 
now have, it is difficult to imagine with what avidity the 
little weekly messenger was sought after, and how tho- 
roughly it was read among the neighbours. At an early 
day after 1 was able to read, my father to encourage 
me, used to buy small books, and among those was a 
little one, giving an account of the trial and execution 
of the King and Queen of France, illustrated with 
an engraving, shewing the guillotine, and Gen. Santerre, 
mounted on a large horse, with troops under arms. 
The reading of this book, with occasional scraps from 
newspapers, excited an eager desire to make my- 
self acquainted with the important events growing out 
of the French revolution. I have a slight recollection 
of the siege of Toulon in 1794, when Buonaparte first 
distinguished himself in driving off the Enghsh. The 
campaigns of 1795 I recollect, the most of them from 
newspaper readings. 

Buonaparte's ItaHan campaign in 1796, and from 
that time till his final downfall and banishment to St. 
5 



66 REMINISCENCES 

Helena, all the principal events are more firmly fixed 
in my memory than occurrences of a recent date. 

In 1797-8-9, the Otsego Herald, was generally 
brought by a post rider, who left our paper each 
Saturday afternoon at a neighbour's about a mile off) 
and it was my business to run through the woods over 
a hill, (often before breakfast,) after the paper, and I 
generally read the part containing the news, before 
reaching home. The escape and sailing of the French 
fleet from Toulon in 1798, with the army for the Egyp- 
tion expedition ; the pursuit by Nelson in search of it, 
created a deep sensation in this country, for several 
months before hearing of the landing in Egypt, and 
destruction of the French fleet at the battle of the Nile. 
It must be recollected that in 1798, our troubles with 
the French Republic had assumed a belligerent aspect, 
almost a declaration of war on each side. 

The object of the expedition was secret, and many 
apprehended an invasion from this formidable army, 
with Buonaparte at its head; at last the expedition 
was heard from, by its attack and conquest of Malta. 
Next came the battle of the Nile in large capitals, with 
Nelson's official account from the Vanguard, off" the 
mouth of the Nile, &c. The contest that we had with 
the French kept up an interest. Truxton captured Le 
Insurgent, of superior force. Bainbridge, Tingey, Tal- 
bot and others distinguished themselves. I recollect a 
doggrel song got up and published in the Herald, about 
that time. Let me give a stanza or two, to call up old 
recollections. 

" Of our tars so brave aud handy, 
Gallant Truxton is the dandy, 
Talbot, Bainbridge, Morris toj 
Are among the valiant crew. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 67 

They're a match for hostile dogs, sir, 
Whether they eat beef or frogs, sir, 
Let them meet by night or day, 
They will shew them Yankee play." 

Several other patriotic effusions appeared from 
week to week in the Herald, which as they bring up 
old matters may be now inserted and not deemed out 
of place. 

" I wonder what the matter means, 
A cutting of such capers, 
The parson says the French are mad, 
He reads it in the papers, 

Hey ho Billy bo, I b'lieve the wars are coming, ■ 

And if they do, I'll get a gun as soon as I hear them drumming. 

i heard them say on training day, 

That Washington's a-going, 
And Captain Toby swears they'l fall, 

Like grass when he's a mowing, 
Hey ho, &c. 

He says as how in t'other war, 

He ran right at the bullets. 
And never minded grenadiers. 

No more than we do pullets." 
Hey ho, &c. 



ANOTHER. 

*• There's Yankee doodle come to town. 
From Philadelphia city, 
He's ranged the streets all up and down, 
And brought nice news to fit ye. 



68 REMINISCENCES • 

He's "been among the Peeplish folks, 

And vows they'r rotten clever, 
They talk so 'cute and crack such jokes, 

Would make one stai'e for ever." 

Soon afterwards the Herald was dressed in mourn- 
ing on the death of the father of his country, General 
Washington, who died in December, 1799. The 
announcement of which melancholy event, threw the 
whole country in consternation and sorrow. We had 
an assemblage, and a funeral oration from our singing 
master Doctor Meacham, who stood on the table in 
Brewster's ball room. I have recently seen a piece of 
mourning drapery from the Otsego Lodge, Coopers- 
town, used on that occasion. 

In the Herald and other papers, a discussion was 
kept up, whether the nineteenth century commenced 
1st January 1800, or 1801 ; very similar to the recent 
discussion in regard to the commencement of the 
present last half century. I do not recollect which 
side Judge Phinney took, but I think in favor of 1801. 
Peter Porcupine had illustrated his views of the ques- 
tion, by comparing mile stones to centuries ; and had 
asserted that any one differing from his position, had 
no more brains than an oyster. In a new year's 
address probably written by Judge Phinney, was this 
verse, 

" This good day my friends will enter ye. 
Fairly in the nineteenth century, 
In spite of mile stones on the plains. 
In spite of Peter's oyster brains." 

At the age of fifteen I had become a large stout 
boy, worked hard on the farm all the year, except 
about four month's in winter, when I went to school. 
From the age of ten years, I used to go to mill on horse- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 69 

back, often ten miles or more, which of course brought 
me in contact with other boys, who came many miles 
on the same business. Our casual interviews were not 
of the most amicable character, they often assumed a 
belligerent aspect, and not unfrequently bloody noses 
grew out of them. On one occasion, a boy a year older 
and much larger than myself, became insolent, and after 
threatening to lick me, persisted in fastening his quarrel 
so that I could not avoid a set-to. The miller wanting 
to see the sport encouraged it, and the result was my 
adversary was essentially flogged within three minutes, 
and came out of the contest with his nasal organ pretty 
well swollen and bleeding freely, while my face was 
only slightly scratched, but not hurt. 

Many similar incidents occurred with the Dutch boys 
during these excursions to mill, who were very much 
inclined to flog the "Yankees," as they called us. So 
also at school such frolics were not unusual, as well as 
playing off divers pranks on those who were regarded 
as rather soft and green. My friend, Samuel Russell, 
was generally in concert with me, and was not only 
fond of fun, but full of school boy pranks in the 
superlative degree. A negro who used to go to school, 
was frequently duped and made the laughing stock of the 
company. On one occasion we made him beheve he 
could fl}', and persuaded him to jump from the highest 
part of a shed, some fourteen feet to the frozen ground. 
He went up, and after flopping and swinging his arms 
as a rooster does his wings, crowed stoutly, and then 
leaped oft', intending to fly and come down lightly, but 
his avoirdupoise brought him to the frozen ground with 
a violence that nearly broke his limbs. On another 
occasion, we persuaded him to dive from a high stump, 
into what he thought was a bank of light snow recently 



70 REMINISCENCES 

fallen, but which in fact was a knoll slightly covered ; 
much of the new snow having been blown off. Ike, for 
that was the negro's name, went in head foremost, and 
although it of course did not hurt his head, it nearly 
broke his neck, for he complained for a long time of 
the injury. After these adventures he was more cautious, 
but was still the dupe of his tormentors, who frequently 
got him into other scrapes, such as could only be tole- 
rated as boyish pranks, or as another has fitly said, 
"youthful indiscretions." 

Russell has been prosperous in life, and though 
starting poor and entirely destitute, is not only comfort- 
ably off in regard to property, but a correct business 
man. 

He has represented Otsego county in the assembly ; 
has been commissioner of loans and county clerk; and 
now possesses, in an eminent degree, the confidence 
and respect of his neighbours and friends. I must re- 
late an anecdote of his father, an old revolutionary sol- 
dier, who I remember seeing nearly fift3''-seven years ago. 
The old man thought he was somewhat religious, and 
probably was, though it was not that strait laced reli- 
gion that would preclude him from cracking his jokes 
and enjoying his fun, of which he was as fond as his 
son. On one occasion he was attending a conference 
meeting, when an aged sister, whom Russell disliked 
excessively, got up, and addressing the meeting with a 
decided nasal twang, said " My dear brothers and sis- 
ters, I feel like a poor miserable creature," and sat 
down. Capt. Russell immediately arose and said " I 
can fellowship you in that, for I think you are," and 
then took his seat. Some of those in attendance laugh- 
ing, and others suppressing a desire to laugh, at the old 
man's prompt and appropriate response. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 71 

I ought to say something about our spiritual teachers. 
We had quacks, and empyrics in divinity, as well as 
in physic, during the early da3'^s of our new residence. 
Many straggling itinerants came among, us and would 
give the neighbours what was called a sermon, which 
might have been called anything else just as well. 
There was one man, who for several years gave us the 
'* stated preaching of the gospel." He was a Rhode 
Island farmer, of the baptist denomination, very illite- 
rate, and known all over the country, as " old esq. 
Pray." 

He owned a fine farm on the Unadilla river, in the 
present town of Winfield, and kept a poor tavern, 
where he sold most villainous new England rum. Elder 
Pray had his farm carried on, but did not work much 
himself, generally staying in the house to 'tend bar and 
see to matters relating to his tavern. On Sunday he 
would ride away in pursuance of previous appointments, 
and preach, as he called it. 

His education was so defective that he could hardly 
read his bible inteUigibly ; and his preaching, if possi- 
ble, was more defective still. He used the most unsavorj' 
similes, to illustrate his positions. I heard him, on one 
occasion, describe the operations of the Holy spirit ; 
md to show how inadequate human means were, to 
>romote the new birth, he illustrated his views, by in- 
roducing as a simile, a carved basswood woman, and 
hen went on with his comparison, altogether too inde- 
cent to repeat. It answered however for preaching, 
for want of better. 

Jedediah Peck, the indomitable democrat, who 
soon after the organization of the county, got up an 
opposition to Judge Cooper, Genl. Morris, and the fede- 
ral party generally, was a preacher as well as politician. 



79 REMINISCENCES 

He was illiterate, but a shrewd cunning man. For 
many years he controlled the politics of the county, put 
up and put down who he pleased ; he had no talent as 
a preacher or speaker; his language was low, and he 
spoke with a drawling, nasal, yankce twang, so that in 
public speaking he was almost unintelligible. He al- 
ways had his saddle bags with him, filled with political 
papers and scraps, that he distributed whenever he 
went from home, and then at night and frequently on 
Sundays, would hold meeting and preach. 

I have always been so uncharitable as to believe 
his preaching resulted more from a desire to promote 
political than spiritual objects. Still the judge was a 
worthy, honest, exemplary man ; and entitled to great 
credit. He represented the county many years in the 
assembly and senate ; and had as much influence, and I 
think more than any county member. It was through 
his exertions the found ationof our school fund was 
laid ; and for that act alone, if for no other, he is entitled 
to the gratitude of the state. 

He was county judge for many years, and in 1812, 
although of advanced age, was in Queenstown battle, 
acting as paymaster of Col. Stranahan's regiment. The 
old man of nearly seventy years crossed the river and 
behaved remarkably well. The official account of the 
battle made honorable mention of him. 

The federalists disliked the judge, and always ridi- 
culed him and his decisions in court. Not being a law- 
yer by profession, his honor never pretended to much 
knowledge of the law, but w^nt for the common sense 
reasonable construction of each transaction. I recollect 
a case of crim. con., when he charged the jury. The 
defendant attempted to shovi?, that the plaintiff knew 
of and colluded at the transgression of his wife ; this, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 73 

if true, would have been a good legal defence. Not 
establishing this point, as he intended, he next resorted 
to proof in mitigation of damages, and proved the wife 
not only abandoned, but of infamous reputation; this, 
the books all agree, should be taken into consideration, 
in fixing the amount of damages. 

His honor however decided and charged the jury, 
that it was neither a justification or mitigation, but on 
the contrary, a gross aggravation, which ought to 
enhance the damages against defendant, for having' 
anything to do with the dirty slut. Not very sound law 
to be sure, but well enough for such a suit. 

For several years very few incidents occurred worthy 
of record : suffice it to say, I worked hard all the year, 
except winter, when I went to school. In this way I 
became familiar with all kinds of work incident to a 
new country, and on arriving at twenty-one years of 
age, was a good practical farmer. 

I recollect in 1801-2 or 3, when I must have been 
some fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years old, of assist- 
ing my father in cutting down and sawing into logs, 
the largest and tallest wild (black) cherry tree that I 
ever saw. It seems tome it was very near three feet in 
diameter, and held nearly that size the whole length 
of its trunk ; it was perfectly straight, and we cut from it 
five or six logs, twelve feet long, before reaching a 
limb. The logs were cut by a cross cut saw, and I 
know it was while I was a mere bo}'', as it fatigued me 
very much to carry my end of it while we were cutting 
them. 

jNIy father was preparing to build a house, and he 
wanted the boards and timber from this tree to use 
about the house, and for making cherry furniture. We 
cut it two or three years before it was to be used, that 



74 REMINISCENCES 

it might be well seasoned. I speak particularly of this 
tree, because from some of its boards, in 1805, was 
made the case for that old family clock, that I have 
had long before the remembrance of either of my child- 
ren. Soon after the falling of that tree, a young one 
shot up from or among its roots, and was protected by 
the stump of the parent tree for many years. We pre- 
served it, and if still standing, as I suppose it is, may 
be seen very near the southerly line of the large orchard, 
planted on my father's farm. That young tree must 
be about fifty years old, and I suppose two feet in diam-. 
eter. On returning from Columbus, Ohio, in 1846, 
where I had resided four years, I went to see if this 
tree was still standing ; and found it large and thrifty, 
but every vestige of the parent had long since disappeared. 
Phoenix like, the young tree had risen from the dust 
and ashes of the old, and now remains in full strength 
and vigour of life. 

To return to that old family clock. There is some- 
thing interesting, I have thought, when we contemplate 
the busy and constant flow of time, as marked off by 
seconds, minutes, hours and days, indicated by the 
vibrations of the pendulum. How solemn the mea- 
sured tick of that old clock at midnight ! How many 
tales it could tell, were it gifted with speech. Before 
Buonaparte by one of those masterly stratagems and 
military combinations for which he was distinguished, 
invested and captured Ulm, in 1805, with an immense 
Austrian army ; before Nelson lost his life, when he 
annihilated the combined fleets of France and Spain 
at Trafalgar — that old clock was in its present case- 
ment. And should we go back a few years we should 
find the clock itself, measuring off the time when Buo- 
naparte crossed the great St. Bernard, and gained the 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 75 

decisive victory at Marengo. Even as early as his 
Egyptian expedition, that clock marked the time, of 
minutes, hours and days, fraught with great events. It 
has, as will be perceived, been familiar with the times 
that brought forth the empire, under Napoleon. It has 
marked the periods of his rise, his greatness, his ambi- 
tion, and his mad career — ending with his downfall, 
banishment and melancholy death, on a far-off isle, in 
the great southern ocean. It has marked the time of 
great events in our own country ; all the presidential 
terms, except Washington's, and the first half of the 
elder Adams' have been measured, and passed away 
with years beyond the flood. If contemplated in 
reference to family and domestic relations, what tales 
it unfolds ! how solemn and interesting! My grand- 
parents, paternal and maternal, have all watched the 
march of time, as indicated by its dial. My parents, 
also, and yet the}' have all passed away; so also the 
greater part of my brothers and sisters ; two of my 
children also. I can never look on that old clock, other 
than with awe and respect, almost amounting to vene- 
ration; and there it is yet, just as ready to measure 
off another half cfcntury as the one that has recently 
closed. But why moralize so much? Because there 
are times when it accords, and chimes in with my in- 
most feeling ; when (to use an apt quotation,) " this our 
life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, 
books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good 
in every thing." 

I ought to mention among these old recollections, 
my first visit to Albany, at a very early da}^ and 
several years before the present century. 1 went there 
with my father on a load of wheat, by sleighing; we 
started very early in the morning, which was the 



76 REMINISCENCES 

fashion with those going to Albany, or they could not 
get back within five days, which was the usual time 
for a journe}'^ to the city and home again. It was a 
curious sight to observe the immense number of sleighs, 
on approaching the city ; a string a mile long, was no 
uncommon occurrence in those days, and even more 
Generally speaking, each teamster carried his own hay. 
bound on to the sleigh, with a bag or two of oats ; he 
also had a pail or box of provisions, and always a bot- 
tle of rum stowed away among the bags of grain. 

The fashion was to stop about once in ten miles, to 
feed and rest the horses, and while they were eatinj* 
their oats, the owner felt bound to call for at least p 
mug of gingered cider, or gill of rum, which served as 
a remuneration for the use of the shed. At night he 
fed on his own provision, but generally paid sixpence 
for a cup of tea or a like sum for a mug of cider, and 
the same for his bed. For his horses when he fed his 
own hay and grain, he paid sixpence or a shilling, and 
he took care of them himself; and at these prices, 
William McKown, and others, who kept taverns for 
the farmers, got rich. Those were good jolly times ; and 
if not rich and prosperous to those, who thus visited 
Albany, they could not well fail to be interesting, for 
they brought citizens in contact, who lived remote from 
each other. 

I recollect the old Dutch church which I saw at 
this my first visit, which stood at the foot of State street, 
very near the exchange building in Albany. The 
venerable edifice protected an old woman, who sold 
coffee and chocolate on the south side, and sometimes 
" strong beer," as it was called. My father patronized 
her, and bought a cup of the former, and a glass of the 
latter, which was the first beer I had ever tasted. I 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 77 

recollect very well the appearance of the old church 
and of those sheltered on the south side, which I have 
since seen coarsely delineated in print. We of course 
went to see the lion that was kept somewhere on the 
hill; but father did not go to seethe Albany witch, 
who was generally visited by those going there from 
the country, who wanted to know their fortune, and 
who delighted in the marvellous ; which my father did 
not, for he was a perfect infidel, in relation to those 
matters. The witch made her craft a regular business 
at that time. 

How interesting were those journeys to Albany, 
which from Richfield took about five days, and the 
usual load for a sleigh did not then exceed from twenty 
to twenty-five bushels, for the turnpike was not 
constructed. My father at this time received $1 68 
per bushel for his wheat. 

Those large winter fires at the taverns were delight- 
ful; and then the jingling of bells made travelling ex- 
ceedingly spirited and cheerful. I went to Albany in 
1811 or 1812, with Colonel Fitch and Captain Loomis, 
of Richfield, who were going with their wives ; each 
had a sleigh pretty well loaded with country products, 
and each had a pail or box of excellent provisions ready 
cooked ; they insisted on my going with them, and 
said it should not cost me a cent. 

We had a pleasant journey to and from the city, 
and while there visited the Otsego members, who were 
stowed away in a small room, and upper story of a poor 
wooden building. 

How different from accommodations furnished the 
present members of the legislature, who have, generally, 
pleasant respectable rooms, and good comfortable living, 
if nothing more. 



7S KEMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER V. » 

Military Enrolment. — Brigade Training. — Arnold convicted 
of Murder. — Popular Indignation. — Command Infantry 
Company and Volunteer. — Plattshurgh Battle, Inci- 
dents and Anecdotes. — Country Dances. — Contest between 
Judge Cooper and Major Cochran. — Great Eclipse, 1806. 
ScJiool Keeping. — Great Snoio Storm, April, 1807. — 
Vote for Governor Tompkins. — Political Matters. — Serve 
as ConstaUe. — Quit Farming to Study Law. 

On arriving at eighteen years of age, I enrolled myself 
in a company of light infantry, commanded by Capt. 
Minerva Cushman, a worthy excellent man, who was 
father of Don F. Cushman, esq. a highly respectable 
and successful merchant of New- York, now doing busi- 
ness in Cortland street. This was one of the oldest 
independent companies in the county. In the autumn 
of 1S05, our company, in common with the Otsego 
brigade, repaired to Cooperstown for parade, inspec- 
tion and general review, in conformity to orders from 
Governor Lewis. 

The governor was there with his staff, in full uniform ; 
and I suppose was much gratified with the parade as 
well as his reception in the county. He was fond of 
show, and it was argued by his opponents, that he was 
excessively vain in reference to mihtary matters. 

Those brigade parades that he ordered, were not 
well received by the public ; they required a sacrifice 
of three days time to a large portion of those subject to 
duty, and of course were attended with considerable 



BY LEVI BEARDS LEY. 79 

expence. When brought forward as a candidate for 
re-election, these parades were urged against him with 
much effect. 

In Otsego there was another matter of complaint 
that lost him some votes. Benjamin Arnold, a school- 
master, had whipped a little girl in an unmerciful man- 
ner, which caused her death ; and the circumstances 
were such, that he was convicted of murder and sen- 
tenced for execution. On the day appointed, everybody 
repaired to Cooperstown to see Arnold hung. A gallows 
was erected, the prisoner was brought out and placed 
on the staging, where the sheriff with his deputies were 
in attendance. Clergymen were there, and w^ent through 
with their religious exercises; the criminal w^as exhorted 
to make his everlasting peace, and the spectators to 
take warning and profit from the melancholy exhibition. 
Arnold was invited to address the multitude, which he 
did in a few words, but in so low a tone of voice as 
scarcely to be heard. He stood under the gallows, 
with the halter about his neck, expecting, as did those 
who were looking at him, that the next moment would 
be his last; when the sheriff put an end to the painful 
suspence, by taking from his pocket a commutation of 
the death penalty to imprisonment for life. 

Arnold fainted on the annunciation, and the specta- 
tors were sadly disappointed. They were not slow in 
giving utterance to their feelings ; some swore, others 
laughed, but all were dissatisfied. Many had come a 
great distance, their curiosity had been much excited, 
a day had been lost, besides incurring considerable 
expence, for which they had no corresponding return. 
The greater part wanted to see a man hung ; and when 
Arnold was excused from gratifying their morbid desire, 
they acted and talked as if they must have a substitute. 



80 REMINISCENCES 

Had the governor himself been there, many of them 
would hardly have refrained from making him a con- 
spicuous figure in the very interesting exhibition. 

They had a right to be displeased ; for if the sheriff 
was in possession of the governor's commutation, be- 
fore Arnold was taken from the jail, it was a wanton, 
inexcusable act of cruelty thus to expose him, and hor- 
rify his feelings ; and it was so regarded by the by- 
standers, who thought the public exposure of the crim- 
inal should have been spared. I do not know what 
explanation could have been given ; some said the 
messenger did not arrive with the commutation till just 
as the sheriff was preparing to swing up the prisoner; 
others said he had received it in due time, but wanted 
to make a show and frighten the culprit. I have no 
doubt the governor lost votes for his interference, if not 
for the circumstances at the gallows. 

In the company of light infantry, already mentioned, 
I continued to serve ; and went through every grade of 
promotion, until 1810 or early part of 1811, when I 
had the command ; holding commissions under Gov* 
Tompkins. By a law of congress, passed in 1811, 
authorizing the President to accept the services of one 
hundred thousand volunteers ; my company was en- 
rolled, accepted and held in readiness to be called out 
at any time. Our year expired shortly after the decla- 
ration of war in 1812. In September of that year, 
troops were wanted for the Niagara frontier. I still 
retained the command, though I had removed to Cherry 
Valley two years before, but used to repair to Richfield 
to muster and drill my company, whenever it was ne- 
cessary. 

I went there in September, called them out, in pur- 
suance of general orders, intending to induce them to 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 81 

volunteer for the campaign. I had prepared a speech 
full of patriotic sound and fury, to induce the com- 
pany to turn out, and go to the war. They were 
paraded and drilled a short time ; the speech was 
delivered, but not responded to, as desired ; the drum- 
mer was put in requisition ; the troops being directed to 
shoulder arms, and such as would volunteer, to step out 
and follow the drum. At this order every democrat (or 
republican as then called,) came forward, and every 
federahst refused. Party spirit ran high ; the war was 
unpopular with the federalists, who, as a parly, con- 
demned and opposed it ; and thus my project of going 
with a volunteer company, which I very much desired, 
proved an abortion. 

A draft was next resorted to through the rp<iiment, 
for the requisite number, and with m}^ compan}'- I stood 
a draft and drew a blank. 

Norton, my brother-in-law, a lieutenant, was drafted; 
and as he had a famil}'-, I offered to take his place, 
(the colonel having agreed to accept me,) but Norton 
declined it and went himself. I afterwards tendered 
my services to Col. Stranahan, who commanded the 
regiment, provided he would give me an active place 
of equal rank with my own. I offered to take rank as 
lieutenant if he would make me adjutant, but that place 
had been given to Stafford, of Sangerfield, a fine brave 
fellow, who was shot through at Queenston, but who 
I believe is still living. Stranahan offered to make me 
quarter-master, but this was rather the place of a non- 
combatant, and I did not want it. Whether I should 
have gone through a fight manfully I have some doubt, 
but have none vvhateverlhat I should have gone where 
ordered, as I had no constitutional scruples, and my 



82 REMINISCENCES 

pride would nave impelled me even if my courage had 
faltered. 

During the spring and summer of 1S14, I had a 
severe fit of sickness that nearly proved fatal ; and 
though very weak and lame was able to hobble about, 
when I heard of the approach of the British fleet and 
army before Plattsburgh. I at once concluded to arm 
myself and start for the scene of action, by the next 
morning's stage. 

Without consulting any one, I selected a good 
military musket with equipments, and directed a knap- 
sack with provisions and blanket to be prepared that 
I might be off. My wife knew it was a conceit, or 
freak, growing out of ill health and half shattered in- 
tellect, and remonstrated ; but I was stubborn, and 
determined to go; so she called in Judge Hammond 
and Major Packard, in each of whom I had confidence, 
who soon persuaded me to give it up, as I was in no 
condition of health for such a journey, or the duties of 
a soldier ; and thus ended this patriotic effervescence. 
During the autumn of that year, I was at Johnstown, 
Montgomery county, when a detachment of sailors 
passed through that place, on their way to Sackett's 
Harbor, to man the fleet on Lake Ontario. They were 
from Plattsbnrgh, having been in the battle under Mc 
Donough, when the British fleet was defeated. It is 
related, that on board of McDonough's ship, was a 
cock that was petted by the sailors, and was a great 
favorite with the whole crew. During the hottest part 
of the engagement, this bird was perched on top of 
his coop, listening to the " hurly burly " that was going 
on, and very complacently surveying the exertions of 
his patrons, the sailors, when an enemy's shot struck his 



BY LEVI BEATIDSLEY. 83 

coop and shivered it in pieces. Chanticleer was 
" game ;" and on the coop being knocked from under 
him, flew up and perched himself on a shroud, where 
he crowed lustily in defiance. Those who saw it, 
regarded it as a favorable omen, and cheered through 
the ship. On leaving flattsburgh, they took their 
feathered favorite with them, regarding him as a talis- 
man to avert danger. One of the sailors carried the 
rooster under his arm ; and it was said at the. time, and 
I suppose he was, the identical bird that crowed on the 
ship during the battle. 

I recollect some of us clubbed, and gave the sailors 
a good treat, and filled their canteens, as I had assisted 
to do on another occasion at Palatine Bridge, where we 
had met a detachment of soldiers. Sailors are of all men 
most superstitious, and inclined to believe in omens. 
I have no doubt the presence and good conduct of this 
cock, during a naval battle, would have contributed to 
win it, as much as the exertions of ten resolute men. 
After giving up my n^ilitary company, I held several 
commissions in the major general's staff; was division 
judge advocate, with rank of colonel, and some other 
positions of equal rank, for which I have commissions 
from Gov. Clinton. The highest position in lank that 
I ever actually obtained, was colonel ; by which title, 
Cols. Deitz and Geer, who were with me in the senate, 
anr" who had been cols, of militia, were specially 
observant to address me, as they did each other. 

On removing to Ohio, where they have a weaJcness 
for addressing almost every man by some title, they 
often magnified me into a general, which honor, my 
extreme modesty never allowed me to appropriate to 
myself. As I am on military affairs, I will remark 
that when I was first a commissioned officer, we wore 



£4 REMINISENCES 

the three-cornered cocked hat, continental fashion : 
mine was of that description. Afterwards, the French 
chapeau de bras came in fashion, and was adopted 
in the country as well as the cities. 

But to leave military matters for another subject. — 
Dancing has been a favorite amusement in all 
countries, and in all ages ot the world. In the new 
settlements it was not so fashionable as more athletic 
exercises. For several years they had no suitable 
rooms ; and then again, the farmers were staid in their 
habits, and generally had no desire to encourage it. 

Those split logs from which the floors for houses were 
made, were not very well adapted forshowing off the gra- 
ces of motion. Governor Corwin, of Ohio, having been 
brought up in anew country, and being well acquainted 
with the customs of that kind of life, used to tell many 
amusing anecdotes, and among others, of an old French- 
man, of Cincinnati, who delighted to go into the coun- 
try towns and dancing all night on those rough, non- 
elastic floors. Although we had" dancing parties oc- 
casionally for several years, yet we did not have a 
dancing school in that part of Otsego county, till the 
winter of 1805 or 1806. A strolling dancing master 
then came there, and after much opposition from the 
serious part of the community, got up a class, and 
instructed them in jigs, French fours, and figures, 
throughout the winter. I was permitted to make one 
of the class, though my grand-parents regarded it as a 
great scandal, and little better than serving the devil ; 
they were probably about half right. We never 
aspired to colilions ; and I don't know but our light 
heeled instructor might have deemed himself incom- 
petent to impart instruction bej'ond the first rudiments : 
" down the outside, up again ; turn your partner; down 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 85 

in the middle, up again ; cast off ; and right and left." 

We had no aristocracy in those days. The 
laboring man, who worked by the month, and the spin- 
ning girl who worked by the week, were as good as 
others, and of course must not be slighted, or over- 
looked. Dressed in their Sunday clothes they appeared 
well, and were respected. 

This was rifjht. All were workers ; and hard 
labor brought all on a level of equality. 

I remember one of the early settlers, who is still 
living, and is now a wealthy farmer ; who, when he 
came there had scarcely anything but his axe, and 
used to chop, and clear land by the acre, till he had 
earned enough to buy a new farm. On getting married, 
he was so determined not to disguise his condition in life, 
that he insisted on being married in the dress in which 
he expected to earn his living. The result was, that he 
dressed himself in a clean tow shirt, frock, and trow- 
sers ; while his wife, the daughter of a respectable 
farmer, put on her petticoat and short gown ; and in 
these every-day dresses they were married. 

It was no uncommon .thins; then, for the daughters 
of substantial farmers, to go out to work by the week, 
when they could be spared from home. Such a thing 
now is hardly thought of by our native-born citizens ; 
in which respect I think they manifest a greater degree 
of false pride than good sense. 

As I have referred to dancing ; let me describe the 
arrangements for getting up a ball. 

The managers being chosen, had two ways of get- 
ting it up. One was to make a hap-hazard business, 
and let each gentleman select his partner, and wait on 
her to the dance. When this mode prevailed, there 
v/as a scramble amonof the beaux to o-et the start of 



86 REMINISCENCES 

each other, to invite the young ladies who were regard- 
ed as favorites. This mode had its objections, as it not 
only induced scrambles, and competitions, but frequent- 
ly resulted in leaving some of the girls less attractive at 
home, who would be overlooked. There was another 
objection that had weight, particularly with those young 
men who were admitted into society, not because their 
company was very desirable, but because it \vas an 
unpleasant business to exclude them. They were ra- 
ther cheap, ordinary, or as the buck-eyes would say, 
"or' nary fellows," who were sometimes refused by the 
ladies, because they of course had preferences, and 
would give these fellows " the mitten," and take their 
chance of an invitation from some one else. I pre- 
sume my readers, particularly of the younger class, 
will understand what "giving the mitten" means. At 
any rate, those who were so unfortunate as to submit, 
to that mortification, understood the meaning and pre- 
ferred the other mode ; because, as will soon be seen, 
they were backed up by the influence of the managers 
when the fair ones were invited. To obviate these ob- 
jections, it was more generally voted that the other 
mode should be adopted, and that the managers should 
classify and select partners among the gentlemen and 
ladies. Preparatory to this important matter, lists 
were made out of those who were to be invited, and 
then the managers went to work and would sit down 
Mr. A. B. and Miss C. D., and so on through the hsts. 
Tickets were given out something in this form, " Inde- 
pendence Ball, Mr. A. B. is invited to attend a fourth of 
July ball, at &c. and to wait on IMiss C. D., who is also 
invited." On receiving the ticket, the gentleman must 
call on the lady for whom a ticket was enclosed, and 
invite her attendance ; which, under this arrangement, 



BY LEVr BEARDSLEY. 87 

she almost invariably accepted ; because to refuse 
would not only have been an insult to the gentleman, 
but to the managers who had selected, and by their 
ticket invited her; and they represented society, so that 
she would probably be excluded, unless she had good 
reasons for refusing. If it was a fourth of July ball, 
they frequently met before dinner, danced a few figures 
and then dined in the open air, under booths. After 
dinner they went to dancing in good earnest ; had tea, 
cakes, and wine handed round at evening, and during 
the night ; and frequently more stimulating potations, 
particularly among the gentlemen. They were not 
nice in the observance of hours, but danced them away 
tin they were generally satisfied to break up at broad 
day light. 

If it was a winter frolic they went in sleighs; but 
at other times, nearly all on horseback. The young 
gentleman would provide himself with as good a horse 
as he could, and another with a ladies saddle, for his 
partner. Thus furnished with the means of locomotion, 
he would start after the fair one, leading the horse she 
was to ride; and being equipped, girled, and mounted, 
they would start for the ball. As all were fearless 
riders, the horses were frequently put to the top of their 
speed. 

It was no uncommon thing for a young lady to 
mount the same horse behind the gentleman, and thus 
ride double to the ball. The objection to the managers 
selecting and arranging was, that they generally secured 
the lion's share for themselves, by selecting the favorite 
girls. 

They had the trouble of arranging for the ball; 
and I don't know that there was any violation of prin- 
ciple, if the managers did choose wisely. Some how- 



83 REMINISCENCES 

ever did think it objectionable, as the}' thought it con- 
ceded too much, and gave undue advantages to mono- 
polise the choice articles. For several years we had 
no musician near us, and acommittee had to be appointed 
to secure a fiddler from abroad. My first acquaintance 
with Bra3'ton x\llen, who played the violin remarkably 
well, was his attendance at Richfield to discourse elo- 
quent music for a new year's ball. He then resided at 
Cherry Valley ; has since resided in Western Virginia, 
on the great Kanhawa, was always fond of fun and fiolic, 
sang a good song, told a good story, was an accom- 
plished shot, kept excellent hounds ; a man of sense 
and sound philosophy, for he took the world easy, 
laughed at its follies, submitted to its crosses, and mur- 
mured not at its reverses. We have formerly ran down 
and unearthed many foxes ; but for several years I have 
lost sight of him, and whether dead or alive, I really 
do not know. The fashions, in social life, have very 
much changed within the last forty or fifty j-ears. 

Now, when a party meet, and wish to take a social 
glass, a brandy smash or whisky toddy is prepared for 
each. Then, on meeting at a country tavern, some 
one of the company would call for a brandy sling, or 
a rum or gin sling, which required a gill of liquor ; 
this being properly mixed, with sugar and water, and 
stirred up with the toddy stick, till the conn pound 
almost foamed, was read}'- for a sprinkling of nutmeg, 
and was then handed to the one who called for it. He 
look a drink and handed it to his neighbour; who 
drank and passed it along till it was drank off*, and the 
one who finished it called for another, each one gene- 
rally calling for a sling before the sitting was coraj)leted. 

In reference to musicians, it has been above remark- 
ed, that they were scarce. I will relate a trifling inci- 



OF LEVI BEARDSLEY. S9 

dent, growing out of a performance on the violin, 
though not immediately connected with the thread of 
my story. Major Cochran, who recentl}' died at Oswe- 
go, (universally esteemed and regretted, and whose 
excellent lady resides there still.) could in his younger 
days play the fiddle. x\bout the 3'ear 1796 he was a 
candidate for congress against Judge Cooper, of Coop- 
erslown. The congressional district embraced not only 
Montgomery and Otsego, the residences of Cochran and 
Cooper, but nearly the whole oF western New York. 
After IMajor Cochran was put in nomination, he had 
occasion to visit the western counties and took his violin 
with him. 

He stayed over night at Canandaigua, where a 
dance was got up, and the INIajor obliged and amused 
the company by fiddling for* them. He beat Judge 
Cooper at the election, but whether from the influence 
of music and dancing or other causes, is now too late 
to enquire. It was alleged however that Judge Cooper 
had either published or remarked that Cochran had 
been through the district with his violin, and had fid- 
dled himself into office. This came to Cochran's ear 
and brought him from IMontgomery coifnty to Coopers- 
town. 

He started on horseback, as I have heard him say, 
and went there, where Judge Cooper was presiding as 
first judge at the court of Common Pleas. 

On his coming out of court Cochran met him, and 
after alluding to the election and what had taken place, 
informed the judge that he had come from the Mohawk 
to chastise him for the insult. 

Judge Cooper treated it lightly, and remarked that 
Cochran could not be in earnest, who answered by a 
cut with his cow skin. Cooper closed in with his ad- 



90 REMINISCENCES 

versary, but Cochran being a large strong man, they 
were pretty well matched for the scuffle, and the judge 
did not throw him down as he intended ; the by-stand- 
ers interposed and the parties were separated. Coch- 
ran was indicted for the assault and battery, but removed 
the indictment to the oyer and terminer, where he 
pleaded guilty, and was fined a small amount for the 
breach of the peace. How it happened that they were 
opposing candidates, I really do not know ; they were 
both federalists, and 'I am quite sure both belonged to 
the same party at that time. Major Cochran has told 
me that he supported John Adams' administration, and 
was always regarded as an out-and-out old fashioned 
federalist. 

Judge Cooper, I think, was elected at the next 
election, which I suppose must have been in the spring 
of 1798, so that his congressional term commenced 4th 
of March, 1799, and expired with 3rd of March, 1801, 
when on the election of Mr. Jefferson, Judge Cooper, 
in a measure withdrew from active political life ; though 
he remained a decided party man up to the time of his 
death. 

He was prfsent at those ballottings in congress, 
between Mr. Jefferson and Col. Burr, and with others 
of the federal party, voted for the latter. He was so 
unwell at the time, that I believe he had to be carried 
into congress to give his votes. 

The 13th November, 1806, was the anniversary of 
my birth-day, when I became twenty-one years of 
age. Up to this time I had worked on the farm, the 
greater part of which was cleared and fenced ; houses 
and barns had been erected ; and a large orchard 
planted, which was fast coming to perfection. In the 
summer of 1805 or 1806, immediately after corn- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 91 

planting, my father went to the northerly part of 
Wayne county, then nearly an unbroken wilderness. 
He went there with a view of selecting a larger quan- 
tity of land ; and thus providing farms for myself and 
brothers. Our farm in Richfield, with its improvements, 
had become saleable and valuable ; and would then 
have sold for as much if not more than at any sub- 
sequent period. Had he been suited with the country 
he went to explore, he intended to sell his farm and 
buy a tract of new land, large enough for several 
farms. 

He crossed the Seneca, or Oswego river, at three- 
river point, and went to Williamson, in Wayne county. 
Fever and ague were so prevalent that he concluded 
not to purchase. The result of this exploration, I sup- 
pose, gave a cast to my subsequent pursuits for life. 
Had he purchased, I should undoubtedly have re- 
mained a farmer. 

When he went away he directed me to cut and split 
rails and make a line fence through the woods, on the 
east line of the farm. The fence I was to make must 
have been from sixty to eighty rods long, which was 
nearly completed when he returned. 

. In the summer of 1S42, before removing to Ohio, 
I had the curiosity to pass along through the woods, and 
see if any part of this fence remained ; but there was 
not a vestige — neither log or rail remaining, of those 
I had split and placed there ; nor was a single stump 
to be found of the trees I had cut down to make the 
fence. Everything had rotted away, and disappeared. 

In the summer of 1805, I was in the meadow, mow- 
ing, when news arrived that Gen. Hamilton had fallen 
by Col. Burr. 

In 1806, I was at work on the day of the great 



9S REMINISCENCES 

eclipse. I recollect precisely where and what I was 
doing; and the gloomy appearance at the time of total 
obscuration. The atmosphere became chill}'. It ap- 
peared like the commencement of night : so much so 
that the fowls repaired to their roosts, as they do at 
night season. A more gloomy and at same time grand 
spectacle could hardly be witnessed, than the coming 
on; the total eclipse; and then, its passing off; till the 
sun appeared again, unshorn of its beams, with all its, 
strength and beauty. The winter after I became of 
age, I kept school about four months; and so again the 
"next winter; thus devoting myself, two winter seasons, 
to the humble but honoral)le avocation of country school 
keeping; boarding round among the proprietors. Not 
far from the time of closing my school, we got up a 
sleigh-ride and ball, and went to WInfield to hold it, 
about the 7th or Sth of April, 1S07. A snow storm 
came on, which resulted in the greatest fall of snow 
I have ever known. The snow was so deep that it not 
only blocked up the I'oads, but covered the stumps and 
fences, so that there was no communication till the 
roads were partW shovelled out and broken. 

This snow remained during the greater part of the 
month, so that on election day of that year, \vhich 
I think commenced the last Tuesday in April, it was 
very deep In the woods; but having thawed in the day, 
bad, by freezing at night, formed a strong crust, on 
which I went to shoot patridges on their drumming logs 
in the morning. 

At that election I gave my first vote, and voted the 
democratic ticket. Daniel D. Tompkins, who was 
designated the " farmer's son," was our candidate for 
governor, and was elected over Morgan Lewis, who 
was up for re-election. The federalists supported 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 93 

Gov. Lewis, with a portion of the republicans ; and 
these last were designated as " quids." Embargo times 
soon followed. Politics ran high. I was young, ardent, 
and active, and soon became a leader amono- the de- 
mocratic young men ; and frequently acted as secre- 
tary of political meetings for the old. 

Entering into political matters with so much active 
zeal, secured me many fast and devoted friends among 
the democrats ; of whom Col. Lemuel Fitch was one, to 
whom I have been indebted for many acts of confidence 
and kindness ; and whose friendship I enjo3'ed till his 
death, in 1826. 

In the spring of ISOS, I w^as elected constable, and 
again in 1809, in which capacity 1 served two years. 
This required my frequent attendance at Cooperstown, 
at Court ; and these attendances first suggested to me 
the propriety of turning my attention to the legal pro- 
fession. 1 was not unaware of my defective education, 
and that it would be under discouraging auspices in 
case I attempted it. Reasoning on the subject, I satisfied 
myself that much might be done to overcome embarras- 
ments by close application. From the time I became 
of a2;e I had worked on the farm, at such times as I 
could spare, when not keeping school or engaged in my 
duties as constable. I consulted my father as to the 
propriety of entering a law office, and his advice was 
to follow the bent of my own inclination. 

Soon after, I went to Cherry Valley, and consulted 
with my friend Jabez D. Hammond, who was then in 
successful practice, with whom was associated James 
Brackett, as law partner. On informing them that I 
thought of entering upon legal studies, they both advised 
me to go-ahead, and kindly offered to enter my name as 
clerk in their office ; lend me books till I got ready to 



94 REMINISCENCES 

go there permanently ; and to impart such Information 
as they could, (classical and legal,) whenever I should 
take my place in the office. This settled the question. 
In the fall of 1809, a certificate was filed of my clerk- 
ship ; books were furnished which I took home with me, 
commencing with " Blackstone's Commentaries," of 
course. 

These and other law books were read that year; and 
turning off all the business I could, as constable, I in- 
tended in the course of the coming winter, to review 
my English grammar, while my law studies were going 
on. While acting as constable I had many adventures 
with those against whom I had warrants. On one occa- 
sion a fighting lellow, who had kept out of my way for 
some time, struck me violently on the head with a club, 
as I came suddenly on him in the morning. The blow 
stunned me slightly, but did not knock me down, as a 
stiff hat broke its force ; he was soon mastered and 
marched off. Kind treatment on my part subdued him, 
so that from that time forward he always professed to 
be, and I think was, an ardent devoted friend. He 
seemed to like me the better for haying ventured upon 
liim armed as he was, after he had warned me to keep 
off. 

I never found but one man, against whom I had pro- 
cess, who 1 hesitated to encounter, and he was a large 
stout-looking fellow, against whom I had an execution 
for a small military fine, which required me for want 
of property to take the body. He lived about ten miles 
from me, near the county line. On approaching him he 
sprang over the fence, seized a heavy stake, and stood 
at bay ; declaring that he would not be taken and 
threatening to knock me down if I came over. 
^ He had a sinister look, that I did not like ; pale, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 95 

firm, and determined ; his whole appearance indicated 
courage and desperation. Had he been charged with 
crime, I would have tried to take him, but for a paltry 
fine, when he might probably have to go to jail for the 
want of a few dollars, I thought it would be ridiculous 
to have my head broken, and had no desire to make 
the experiment, so deeming " discretion the better part 
of valor," I rode off, and that was the last of it. 

I was now preparing to leave Richfield, to pursue 
my legal studies in Cherry Valley ; before going there 
I delivered a fourth of July oration, at Richfield in 1810, 
and in 1812 went from Cherry Valley to Winfield, 
Herkimer county, and delivered another on the fourth 
of July of tiiat year. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 96 



CHAPTER VI. 

Remove to Cherry Valley, 1810. — Notice of James Brachett, 
esq. — Incidents. — Murder of Iluddlcston, and Execution 
of Van Alstine. — Books read in 1810 and 11. Extracts, 
Remarks a)id Rrflections. — Ossiati's Poems, a favorite 
Booh with Buonaparte. — Attempt at Poetry. — Death of 
Parents, and Reflections. — Admitted to the Bar, in 1812, 
and Copartnrrship 'with Jabez D. Hammond, esq. — Notice 
of Judge Hammond. 

After a residence of more than twenty years in Rich- 
field, where I had resided nearly all the time at home, 
and that too at the most interesting periotl of life ; it 
was not without painful emotions that I left the parental 
roof and separated from my old associates, to form new 
acquaintances abroad. No doubt almost every young 
man feels a deep solicitude, if not regret, when he 
thus assumes the responsibilities of life, and casts him- 
self forth on the world, where he is to associate with 
strangers and carve out his own fortune. 

The early p;irt of July, 1810, I removed to Cherry 
Valley, where 1 found Messrs Hammond and Brackett 
had dissolved partnership, and were in separate offices. 
My law reading was principally with the former, but I 
always f)und l)()th of them kind and courteous, for 
which they have my thanks, even at lliis late day. 

Mr. Brackett was a good scholar, had graduated 
with reputation at Dartmouth, wroie well and with 
facility, and was a correct practitioner. He was ardent 
in hi.^ feelings, confiding and unsuspecting almost to a 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 97 

fault, where professions of friendship were made ; kind 
hearted, popular with the masses, with whom he asso- 
ciated freely and whose confidence he enjoyed in an 
eminent degree. Social among his companions ; de- 
voted to his friends, he could never do too much for 
them. If they had faults he overlooked or extenuated 
them, and from his confiding disposition, was at times 
more under their influence than he imagined; or than 
a prudent cautious man should be. 

These were amiable traits in his character; but 
until men become less selfish and more scrupulous; a 
cautious man will hardly permit even a friend to obtain 
an undue influence. Still Mr. B. with some small faults 
of course, was an excellent citizen, a boon companion, 
zealous but not illiberal in his political or other views ; 
and on all occasions man ifesting a strong attachment to the 
liberties of the country, and its free institutions. I have 
known him well and intimately for more than forty-one 
years; and though we often differed in our political 
views (for he was a decided federalist) yet I must do 
him the justice to say, that during the late war with 
England, he always urged its vigorous prosecution, 
though he condemned its origin. The encouragement 
he gave to enlistments, as well as pecuniary aid to those 
in service, was not onl}'' commendable ; but might have 
been creditably imitated by many democrats who were 
clamorous approvers of the war, but too readily avoided 
its burthens. He held several offices ; among others 
master in chancery, and surrogate of the county of 
Otsego. 

Fond of field sports, he was one of my companions 
in the chase, and has assisted me to run down and un- 
earth reynardon many occasions, in which he delighted, 
though he never was a good shot at a fox. He was 

7 



98 . REMINISCENCES 

too excitable, and the fox often coming suddenly upon 
him, was either the wrong fox and would get out of 
reach before firing, or he would look more closely at him, 
than at his gun, and almost uniformly miss him ; and 
then was unsparing in his denunciations against reynard 
for not condescending to be killed. He appeared al- 
most angry with the fox for not turning fool, that he 
might be the more easily circumvented ; instead of sus- 
taining his natural propensity for craft and knavery. 

On one occasion we had got up a large dogfox^ • 
that was running right merrily before the hounds, and 
giving them fine play. We separated, and as the fox 
came cantering by Brackett, within a few rods of him, 
in an open field, he blazed away ; but reynard disre- 
garded it and made off', the dogs following in close and 
eager pursuit ; I saw him as he passed over the hill, at 
a considerable distance ; and from his running felt quite 
sure he had not been harmed by the shot, though I was 
equally certain that Brackett would claim that he had 
peppered him within an inch of his life. He soon came 
to me, and on my asking him if he had killed the fox, 
he said " no, but I knocked him down, and he has as 
many shots in his carcass as he can carry," and then 
added, in a subdued tone, " he is the most God forsaken 
fox I ever saw." *' Where is he, Brackett?" was my 
enquiry, " gone to hell, or Pennsylvania, with the dogs 
at his heels," was his prompt response. 

Waiting a short time and not hearing the dogs, we 
had no doubt the fox had left that range, and having 
been fired at and scared, at least, would not be likely 
soon to return ; so we left and went home : Brackett 
dealing out many imprecations against reynard for get- 
ting off'. 
J The dogs not having returned, and knowing their 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 99 

spunk and perseverance, I got my horse and rode off to 
where I supposed the fox had led them ; and on en- 
quiry learned that they had been bellowing and coursing 
about a field, where there was a flock of sheep, but had 
left it three hours ago. This was between two and 
three miles from where Brackett had shot at the 
fox. I soon learned that to avoid his pursuers he 
had mixed with the sheep, as the fox often does when 
hard pressed, that their tracks might obliterate his 
own ; and that he had kept with them for some time. 
The dogs, equally crafty, were not to be baulked by 
such a device, and soon frisked him out of the flock, 
when, on leaving the " woolies " he ran half a mile and 
crept under a carriage house, where the dogs coming 
up tore away obstructions so that they could get in, and 
killed him. 

He was taken out by one of the neighbors, who 
knew my dogs ; and they lay down, watching and 
claiming the dead animal, and loitered there wailing 
my arrival. He was given to me, and was " toted" to 
the village ; the dogs following in a strutting manner, 
and taking great credit to themselves for their perform- 
ance. Brackett was delighted to see the fox, told us 
where he aimed at him, and said we should find him 
full of shot. He caressed the dogs for their skill and 
perseverance ; declared they were the best he had ever 
followed ; and to satisfy the crowd that he had aimed 
with remarkable accuracy, insisted on disrobing rey- 
nard at once, when on pulling off his jacket, there was 
not the slightest mark of a shot to be found. Brackett 
was disappointed ; but to make amends, treated the 
company, and sung us a hunting song to make us 
merry. 

Our excursions were attended with many other 



100 REMINISCENCES 

laughable circumstances. He and two others went 
with me to hunt the hare, or white rabbit : a light snow 
had fallen, so that they could easily be followed by the 
hounds, and we had three good ones. Before starting 
I had filled my hunting flask with gin, to be used as our 
comforts or necessities might seem to require. We got 
up a fine old jacTc hare^ that gave the dogs good play; 
and after driving him through thick brush and many 
intricate turnings, I shot him and called my companions 
to me. We were all pretty well warmed with the 
chase, and concluded to uncork the flask and partake 
of the gin. I drank first, and ft)und that it had been 
poured out and water substituted ; which I had no 
doubt was a roguish, good-natured trick of my wife ; 
and not wishing to be the only dupe, I said nothing, but 
handed it to Brackett, whose mouth actually watered 
for the delightful beverage, as could be seen from the 
complacent expression of his enlivened countenance. 
He drank, but his visage changed at once, as did the 
others, when they found we were two miles in the 
woods, wading in the snow, with no other stimulant 
than cold water. I saw him once amazingly eXcited on 
the Schoharie mountains, the autumn of 1818. 

We had been at Schoharie, attending court, in re- 
lation to the murderer, Van Alsline, of whom I shall 
have something more to say. We were hunting for 
small game, when the dogs beating through the thicket 
unexpectedly started four deer that came within a few 
rods of Brackett, who fired a charge of shot at one of 
them, and set up a tremendous outcry. We hurried 
to him and found him almost beside himself with ex- 
citement. He had re-loaded, and just as we reached 
him the dogs gave tongue in pursuit of the deer. " There 
they are," says Brackett; and springing over the fence, 



BT LEVI BEARDSLEY. 101 

Started to run across a field of ploughed land, and 
slightly covered with snow, but very rough. Mr. Seely, 
who was of the party, said, "Now see Brackett fall 
'down ;" when running a few rods further, he slipped 
and did fall, much to our amusement and his own 
annoyance. The dogs pursued, and finally ran down 
and killed one of the deer, which was secured by a 
poacher. We heard of it, and next morning called on 
him, insisting on his giving it up, which he refused ; 
and neither our coaxing him, or the threats of the whole 
company to sue him, and of Brackett specially to flog 
him, would induce him to surrender the deer like a 
gentleman. 

Nearly two years ago, Mr. Brackett removed to 
Rock Island, Illinois, on the Mississipi, where he enjoys 
good health, and is well pleased with his new residence. 
He is getting old, and will probably spend the remain- 
der of his days there. 

He frequently writes me, and always in decided 
terms of approval of the compromise measures of the 
last congress ; and in a recent communication, speaking 
of the union of the Slates, he says, " Better live in the 
wilderness, like John the Baptist, and feed on locusts 
and wild honey, and preserve the union; than revel in 
wealth, grandeur, and luxury, after destroying it." 

A few lines back I have spoken of John Van 
Alstine, of Sharon, Schoharie county, who had per- 
petrated a horrid murder on Huddleston, deputy 
sheiifF, for which he was executed ; and although rather 
out of place, I will mention a few circumstances now 
almost forgotten. 

While in partnership with Jabez D. Hamnjond, 
we had been employed by Van Alstine, to defend a 
suit brought a2:ain3t him for carelesslv driving: over a 



102 REMINISCENCES 

boy, and inflicting a most serious injury. I attended the 
Schoharie circuit at the trial, and made the best defence 
that the circumstances would admit; but the result was 
a verdict against him for $400 or $500. An execution 
was put in the' hands of Huddleston, on this judgment, 
who attempted to collect it. I recollect of going to 
Sharon, with James Brackett, whom I have just 
mentioned, and Col. Starkweather, and I think Col. 
Prentiss, of Cooperstown, one Saturday, to shoot squir- 
rels. In the afternoon we came to the public-house to get 
dinner, and there met Huddleston, who dined with us j 
and this was the last time I ever saw him alive. He 
said he was going to Van Alstine, that afternoon to close 
the execution, by selling his property if the money was 
not paid ; and remarked that he had already had much 
trouble with him. He was very urgent that we should 
go with him ; and I have always regretted that we did 
not, as the murder would probably have been averted 
had we gone. 

He went there; and, as it subsequently appeared, 
while he was computing the amount of the execution 
on the barn floor. Van Alstine advanced upon him with 
a stake from the fence, and by one or more blows 
killed him outright, and concealed him through that 
afternoon by covering him with straw. At night he 
look him on his shoulders, and though Huddleston was 
a large man, at least one quarter heavier than Van 
Alstine, carried him fifty rods, over two or three fences, 
and buried him in a grave dug in a field recently sown 
with wheat. He then got his team, and in the course 
of the night harrowed that field, and cross-harrowed it, 
so that every trace of the grave was obliterated. 

This was Saturday night, and early next Monday 
morning, before breakfast, he called at my office, having 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEi'. 103 

come twelve miles, and said he wanted to settle with 
me for defending that suit. He then remarked that it 
had been a hard business for him, and he wanted we 
should be as reasonable with him as we could ; that he 
had at last paid the exdcution, which had given him 
much trouble, and he wanted everything relating to the 
suit settled, that he should no more have his mind 
troubled with it. 

I had been told by several who knew him, that he 
alwaj^s differed with his lawyers, and that he would 
never pay us without a quarrel, and probably a law 
suit. The bill was made out, and it was reasonable, as 
I intended he should have no cause of complaint. 

He paid part, and gave his note for the balance, 
without a word of cavil or objection ; which I sub- 
sequently remarked to Judge Hammond was altogether 
unexpected. 

After thus adjusting it, he asked me what would be 
the effect of payment of the execution, in case Huddle- 
ston should run away, and not pay over the money? 
and remarked that it was indorsed on the execution, 
but he did not take a separate receipt. 

He said it was quite a large sum, and he should not 
be surprised if Huddleston ran away, for he was a 
d d rascal. The family and friends of the murder- 
ed man became alarmed at his not returning home, and 
on enquiries being made, suspicions were rife that a 
murder had been perpetrated. 

Search was made and blood was found on the barn 
floor, which was finally traced, on the fences, to the 
wheat field ; where, a week afterwards, the body was 
found, and in the meantime Van Alstine had escaped 
on the horse of the sheriff", which for a week had been 
concealed and fed in an adjoining swamp. I saw the 



104 REMINISCENCES 

remains of the murdered man, whose head and face were 
horribly broken and lacerated. 

It seems almost incredible that a small man like 
Van Alstine could have carried his victim so far, and 
then to have had the hardihot)d to harrow over his re- 
mains after midnight. He must have been nerved for 
deeds of desperation ; I can imagine nothing more hor- 
rible than those works of darkness. After his escape, 
and many weeks absence, so that almost all hope of his 
arrest was at an end, he embarked on lake Erie, on 
board a schooner for the western country. A storm 
arose, the murderer was there, and the vessel must 
needs return, to escape destruction ; and then the 
homicide was arrested by a fellow passenger, and 
brouoht back to meet a murderer's retribution. Some 
apprehensions were entertained that he might be rescued 
by friends, as he was conveyed through his former 
neighborhood. I, with several others, went with the 
man who had him in charge, to see him safely delivered 
over to the civil authorities. 

I was setting by his side, when his old mother, his 
wife and children, almost distracted, had their inter- 
view. She spoke to him in Dutch, and said, " what 
have you done ?" His firmness did not forsake him during 
this heart-rending interview. He said to them, " don't 
grieve, don't grievcj all will come out right." 

I attended his trial, which resulted in his conviction, 
and subsequent execution. If I recollect right, the rope 
broke or gave way after he was swung off, and raising 
a law questi07%, he enquired of the sheriff, if he had a 
right to hang him again ? I have but little doubt that 
part of the money he paid me was taken from Huddle- 
ston, for I observed a spot on one of the bills, when he 
paid me, that looked like blood; but it was passed 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 105 

away before the murder was suspected, so that the bill 
never appeared in evidence against him. 

But let me go back from this digression to my legal 
studies. On entering upon office duties at Cherry Val- 
ley, I methodized and divided my time, so as to devote 
a portion to professional studies ; another to belles lettres, 
and light reading, with another, for writing and office 
services. 

Besides law books, I read Blair's Lectures, Rollin's 
Belles Lettres, Locke on the Understanding, Paley's 
Philosophy, Akenside's Pleasures of the Imagination, 
Shakspeare, Ossian's Poems, with a great variety of 
historical works; books of travels and many others, 
both classical, poetical and miscellaneous. 

Shakspeare I always admired, and still read his 
works with increasing interest. Who that understands 
our language and can appreciate the sublime and beau- 
tiful, in conception as well as description, can fail to 
admire Shakspeare ? 

Ossian was a favorite, and afforded me much plea- 
sure in reading it during the ^ong stormy autumnal nights 
of 1810. There was a melancholy cast of thought 
running through those poems, that seemed in unison 
with my feelings at that particular time, heightened 
no doubt from the November storms, which in a hilly 
country may always be heard sighing and moaning, like 
those, so in accordance with nature, described by Ossian. 
Then the fact that I had left my poor mother hopelessly 
ill, and evidently hastening towards the close of life; 
that I had separated from home, from my early friends, 
and the associates of youth ; altogether so aflected my 
feeling? as to render Ossian doubly attractive. But with- 
out these predisposing influences, there are beauties 
and truthful delineations, with figures and adornments 



106 REMINISCENCES 

SO appropriate and with so much pathos that no man of 
sensibiUt}^ or poetical feeling but must admire them. 

It is related of Buonaparte, that during all his 
youthful campaigns, and in fact for the greater part of 
his eventful life, he always had Ossian's poems in his 
camp, and beguiled his leisure hours by reading them 
with profound admiration. 

I was fond of reading poetry, and if good, could 
appreciate it ; but I could never write it, nor did I 
often attempt to do so. I could not make the rhymes 
jingle, nor had I the genius or imagination for a poet. 
That furor or frenzy of feeling, so essential for poetizing, 
was wanting. My mind and cast of thought v^ere more 
staid and were of the practical matter-of-fact kind. 

At the close of the year ISIO, under a melancholy 
state of feeling, induced from the reflection that another 
year was passing away, I wrote during the last evening 
of that year, the following lines, which were pubhshed 
in the Otsego Herald, and are with few exceptions, my 
only efforts to " invoke the muses." 

WRITTEN ON THE CLt)SE OF THE YEAR, 1810. 

Hark, the dread fiat of vindictive time, 

Rings through the world's vast fabric, far and near, 

As on his fleeting wings he moves sublime, 
And views the ruins of the closing year. 

" Another year is gone," the monster cries ; 

Plucked from the future, added to the past, 
The vanquished seasons close behind him lie. 

And sing their death song, to the wintry blast. 

Firm in one rueful hand, the scythe is placed, 
Which cuts the brittle thread of life away : 

The other, widi an hour glass is graced. 
And wasung sands fast measure out the day. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 107 

Before him falls the monarch at his feet, 

As in his course he moves with swift career. 

The charming maiden, innocently sweet, 
Whose exit claims the tributary tear. 

The beggar and the lord are prostrate laid, - 

When time puts forth his hand with awful might ; 

Nor can his fatal blows be checked or staid, 
By characters, however great or bright. 

On his firm breast is placed the book of fate. 
Whose leaves unfold, as time flies swift alon^ 

And on each page is legibly engraved, 
The various actions of the busy throng. 

There read and meditate on ages past, 

As up the long black course of time we run ; 

Look back and see the multitude, how vast ! 
Who've acted on the stage beneath the sun. 

Methinks I see the countless millions stand, 

On life's small isthmus, busily engaged, 
'Till from their places, time with ruthless hand, 

Snatches the youthful hero and the aged. 

Where are they now ? alas, they are no raoi'e. 
Sunk to the tomb, they slumber in the ground. 

Till the last trump, with awful solemn roar. 

Shall wake the nations from their sleep profound. 

Thus time's corroding touch sweeps man away, 

As dew-drops perish, when the rising sun 
Lights up the horizon, at the opening day, 

And drinks the pearly drops before 'tis noon. 

The marble towers and adamantine walls, 
Whose mossy heads defy the weight of years. 

Must into undistinguished ruin fall, i 

Before the victor in his swift career. 



108 REMINISCENCES 

Even planets, from their orbits, shall he hurled, 
And blazing comets, whose tremendous race, 

In fields of ether, circle other worlds, 

Sunk far in regions of unmeasured space. 

The sun whose golden beams light up the day, 

Shall at his rueful touch expire. 
The waning moon that shines with midnight ray, 

Must from the face of heaven swift retire. 

Old earth again shall into chaos fall, 

As wrapped in fire, the heavens shall pass away 

And all that move on this terraqueous ball. 
To time's destroying scythe must fall a prey 

Time then himself shall end, and be no more, 

And nature shall expire and cease to be, 
On wings seraphic shall fair virtue soar. 

To spend an endless blessed eternity. 

Carril. 

Portions of Rollin's Belles Lettres, which I read in 
1811, very much interested me. 

I do not know that I can insert anything more likely 
to be acceptable lo an American reader, than extracts 
from two letters, written by Marcus Brutus, who had 
aided to slay Caesar in the senate house ; and who 
destroyed himself after the fatal battle of Phillippi, 
rather than survive the liberties of his country. Those 
letters and their sentiments should be studied and 
appreciated by the 3'oung men of our Republic. 

After the death of Ceesar, and the acquisition of 
power by his nephew Octavius, surnamed Augustus 
Caesar, (the first emperor,) Cicero who was then regard- 
ed as an old man, being between sixty and seventy 
years of age, -wjrote to Augustus, and implored his cle- 
mency and protection for the " conspirators " as they 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 109 

were termed, who had struck down Julius Cajsar. 
Atticus sent a copy of Cicero's letter to Brutus, who 
then wrote to Cicero and to Atticus the letters from 
which the following are extracts. To Cicero he writes, 
and referring to his letter to Octavius, says, — 

" All that is required of him, you say, is that he would 
be pleased to protect and defend the citizens who are 
esteemed and valued by men of probity, and the 
Roman people. Are we then at the discretion of 
Octavius ; and ruined unless he please to protect us? 
It were better to die an hundred deaths, than to be in- 
debted to him for living. I do not think the Gods so 
much the enemies of Rcjme, as to require that the pre- 
servation of any citizen, and much less the deliverers 
of the world, should be asked of Octavius as a favor 'j 
for I think it proper to talk in this high strain to persons 
ignorant of what every one has to fear, and of whom 
anything is to be asked. Are we then, upon the point 
of settling the conditions of slavery ; and not of abolish- 
ing the slavery itself? What matters it, whether it is 
Caesar, or Anthony, or Octavius, that reigns? Have 
we only taken up arms to change our masters, and not 
to assert our liberty? The Gods shall rather take from 
me life, a hundred times, than to take from me the 
[resolution of not suffering. I say not, that the heir of 
him I have slain, should reign in his place, but that rny 
very father, were he to live again should not make him- 
self Lord of the Laws and Senate. You intreat for our 
security, and return to Rome: but be assured, that 
we value neither the one nor the other, if they are to be 
bought at the price of our honor and liberty. To live, 
in my opinion, is to be at a distance fiom slaveiy, and 
from those who are friends to it. Every flace shall he 
Rome to me, where / can be free* Take care, therefore, 



110 REMINISCENCES 

that you do not hereafter recommend me to that Caesar; 
nor, if I have any credit with you, yourself either. 
The^ew years yon have left to live, are of strange value 
to you, if they can induce you to make abject suppli- 
cations to that boy. For my part I am resolved not to 
be led by the weakness, and desertion of others. There 
is nothing that I shall omit to preserve our common 
country from slavery ; and I shall look with pity upon 
those, in whom neither their advanced age, the 
glory of their past actions, nor the example of courage, 
which others set them, can diminish a fondness for 
living. If our desires and the justness of our cause 
meet with success, we shall be satisfied. But if things 
happen otherwise, I shall not judge myself at all the 
more unhappy, as I think myself born to defend and 
deliver my country; and that life is only desirable, on 
this account." 

In his letter to Atticus, he expresses himself with 
still greater force and freedom. 

"I agree," says he, "that Cicero had a very good 
intention, in all that he has done. Nobody is better 
acquainted with his affections, and zeal for the republic, 
than I am. But upon this occasion, shall I say that his 
wisdom is mistaken, or that he has been too much 
guided by policy ? He who was not afraid for the 
safety of the state, to make Anthony his enemy? This 
I am sure of, that by treating Octavius as he has, he 
has only nourished and inflamed his ambition and pre- 
sumption. He boasts of having put an end to the war 
against Anthony, without moving a single step from 
Rome. Did he do this, only to give him a successor? 
I am grieved that I am forced to write thus to you. 
But you have desired me to lay open my heart, with 
entire freedom. How imprudent is it through a blind 



BY LEVI BEAKDSLEY. Ill 

fear to araw upon ourselves the ills we apprehend, and 
which possibly we may avoid. Death, banishment, and 
poverty are too terrible to us. Cicero seems to judge 
thesethe worst of misfortunes; and provided he finds per- 
sons who respect and commend him, and from whom he 
may obtain what he desires ; he is in no dread of slavery, 
in case it be honorahle; if indeed, anything can be honor- 
able, in the lowest, and most wretched degree of in- 
famy. Octavius indeed, may well call Cicero his 
father; and seem^willing to depend entirely upon him, and 
load him with commendations, and civilities. We shall 
soon see how much his words and actions disagree. Is 
anything, in short, more opposite to common sense, 
than to call him father, whom we do not look upon as a 
free man? But it is easy to see that the good Cicero 
labors only to make Octavius favorable to him. I 
no longer set any value upon all his philosophy. 
For of what use are those noble sentiments to him, with 
which his books are filled, where he treats of death 
and banishment, of poverty, and solid glory, of real 
honor, and the zeal which every man ought to shew, for 
the liberty of his country ? Let Cicero then, live in sub- 
mission and servitude, since he is capable of it; and 
neither his age nor his honors, nor his past actions, 
make him ashamed to suffer it ! For my own part, no 
condition of slavery, however honorable it may appear, 
shall hinder me from declaring war against tyrann}'^ ; 
against decrees irregularly made; against unjust domi- 
nion ; and every power that would set itself above the 
laws." 

REMARKS. 
Such sentiments well become a Roman, and even a 
Brutus. His inflexible virtue, and fire of patriotism, 
which have been the admiration of ages, shine forth in 



112 REMINISCENCES 

these two letters, with a lustre that awes the reader 
into a belief that he hears him actually chiding his 
friends for their servile entreaties. The love of liberty 
and of countr}'- appear the great movers of his actions; 
and an implicit belief that virtue only consisted in dis- 
charging his duty faithfully to that country and to those 
principles. Despising the pageantry of royalty, and 
the sordid views \vhich governed the leaders of the 
different parties in his time, he fought only for his 
love of the republic. Liberty appeared dearer to him 
than life itself; and a real patriot, he nobly resolved to 
live free, or not live at all. The dignity of his spirit 
forbade his asking terms of Octavius ; and he died as 
he had lived, a votary of freedom. With him fell the 
last hope of Roman liberty ; and as it was a Brutus 
that freed the Romans from the t3''ranny of their kings, 
and formed the republic, so this Brutus sacrificed him- 
self for that Hberty, which his noble predecessor gained 
six hundred years before. 

The letters from which the above exfrncts were 
made, may be found in Rollin's Belles Lettres, pages 
218 and 219; and ihe remarks which follow them were 
made in ISll. A first impression on reading these letters 
will be an almost want of appreciation of the f ict that 
at the age of the world, when Brutus lived, (about 
nineteen hundred years ago,) literature had so far 
advanced, as to afford so fine a specimen of com- 
position. But it was the age of Cicero, when tlie lights 
of Roman science were most resplendent. 

In December, 1811, my mother, who had been ill 
for along lime, dejiarted this life. Alihoiigh not unex- 
pected, it was a sad announcement when ifie messenger 
came to inform me that her sufferings wer(M)ver. She had 
cheerfully buine her share in the hard>i)ips and priva- 



OF LEVI BEARDSLEY. 113 

tions of a new country, where she had resided nearly 
twenty-two years ; and that country instead of an unbro- 
ken wilderness, had now become well cultivated, and 
improved, where the comforts of life were scattered with 
a lavish hand, She was an industrious, intelligent wo- 
man, limited in her education, as most females were in the 
agricultural parts of the countr}', who were reared 
during the revolutionary troubles. 

I have heard her say that during that war, when 
she was of suitable age to go to school, writing paper 
was so scarce in the part of the country, where she 
resided, that white birch bark, was frequently substi- 
tuted for paper in country schools. 

A baptist by profession, she was of a religious cast 
of feehng, and eminently careful to impress on the minds 
of her children, the importance of a virtuous and reli- 
gious life. A faithful, devoted wife, and affectionate 
mother, her loss was irreparable ; and so I felt it at the 
time. 

A mother ! what tender associations and reflections 
are called up in connection with mother? In those 
associations, are found untiring devotion to the interest 
and welfare of her offspring ; an affection that never 
falters, which neither time nor circumstances can ef- 
face ; and amidst the cares, the vexations and vicissi- 
tudes of life, a mother's love runs on, overlooking, 
extenuating, and even forgiving the derelictions of the 
child, when all else beside are ready to cast off the 
erratic and perhaps criminal object, to which her heart 
is bound by those natural ties, which death only can 
sever. The loss of a good mother can never be made 
up to her surviving family. 

Her remains rest by the side of my father, in the 
churchyard at Richfield springs ; who, thirty years 

8 



114 REMINISCENCES 

afterwards, at an advanced age, paid the great debt 
of nature. Their graves are shaded by four small 
thrifty maples, planted by him at the corners of a square, 
a few years before his decease. 

I may as well remark that my father was a man of 
excellent judgment and sound practical views. He was 
pretty well read in general history, travels, and that 
kind of reading. A more honest man never lived, or 
more kind hearted to the poor; and a very good country 
magistrate, whose judgments were seldom disturbed 
by certioraries. He always made it a point to reconcile 
the parties, and induce settlements instead of litigation. 
Under Mr. Clinton's administration, he was appointed 
judge of the Court of Common Pleas. 

I never knew a more industrious man ; he could 
not be idle, and deprecated it above all things. Strong, 
hardy, active and popular among his associates, he 
was well calculated for a pioneer in a new country ; 
and that with his limited means, he should have sup- 
ported his family on his new farm, and brought them 
up so comfortably, is almost incomprehensible to those 
who have never encountered the hardships of forest 
life. His children have no occasion to blush for any 
stigma on their parentage, either paternal or maternal. 

In 1S12, I was licensed to practice in the Common 
Pleas ; and soon after, at the suggestion of Mr. Ham- 
mond, entered into co-partnership with him, and re- 
mained connected in business till 1820 or 22, when he 
Avishing to leave Cherry Valley, I bought him out, and 
took the whole office business. 

He commenced his practice in Cherry Valley, in 
1804 or 5, having come there poor, and depending 
v^rhoUy on his own personal exertions, to sustain himself. 
Popular with the masses, he soon acquired their confi- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 115 

dence ; built up within a short time a respectable and 
profitable legal practice, and took a prominent stand as 
a politician. He was kind hearted, and I never knew 
him oppress a poor man; nor do I believe he can 
rightly be charged with it. While together, we did a 
prosperous business, and made considerable monej\ 

We had no difficulties or misunderstandings that in- 
duced a dissolution of our copartnership, and I wish to 
say in reference to Judge Hammond, and in justice to 
him, that during ten or twelve years business connection 
I always found him honest, kind and courteous, and 
arc\ indebted to him for numerous acts of friendship. 

I hope he has no reason to have formed a less favor- 
able opinion of me than I have of him. He is a man 
of sound practical good sense ; not a fluent speaker or 
eloquent debater. As a writer he is well known, and 
holds a highly respectable rank ; by his industry and 
excellent judgment, he succeeded at the bar, much bet- 
ter than many who were greatly his superior as advo- 
cates. From the time of my first acquaintance with 
him, (now some forty-three years,) he has mingled much 
in political matters. A member of congress for one 
term, then four years in the state senate, he formed 
extensive acquaintances, became a political leader of 
much influence and sagacity. Devoted to Gov. Clinton 
and one of his principal advisers for many years, he 
probably contributed as much as any one in the slate, 
in sustaining the fortune and ascendancy of that truly 
great man. Fortunate indeed would it have been for the 
governor, if he had given more heed to the advice of 
Judge Hammond, and less to many of the favorites and 
sj-cophants, who basked in executive sunshine, and 
weighed down the fortunes of him, whose friendship 
imparted more importance to them than any merits of 
their own. 



116 REMINISCENCES 

The judge and myself have frequently differed In 
our political views ; we differ now on many points. 
For several years he has, in my judgment, held the 
abolition party in too high an estimation ; and though 
I have no belief that he is willing to act the madman, 
as many of them are acting, yet it seems to me that 
the countenance he gives them, is calculated to excite 
feelings of discontent against the constitution, and unity 
of the states, that he never can sanction. 

A republican in sentiment, he has too often found 
occasions to differ with the majority of the party, to 
retain a strong hold on decided party men. In other 
words, he has exercised the right of thinking for him- 
self, and marking out a path, not perfectly in accord- 
ance with the prescriptions of the party ; and thus has 
been brought in conflict with those, who have at other 
times acted with him. 

A course like this, though it may be regarded as an 
independent exercise of the right of judgment, and the 
right that every free man has, to act and think as he 
pleases in those matters, is not calculated to build up 
a strong position in a political point of view. He is 
certainly a man of extensive reading and sound judg- 
ment; an accurate judge of men and profound in his 
discriminations of character. 

As a member of congress, and state senator, and 
in short in all his official relations, which have been 
many, he has acquitted himself with distinguished tact 
and abihty. Few men in Otsego, and I may say in the 
state at large, have been more shrewd and adroit poli- 
ticians than Judge Hamm.ond. 

His suggestions, in reference to public policy, and 
his influences have frequently extended to remote parts 
of the state, though the mover was not publicly visible, 
as the sug;»estor. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. f^B 

In 1814, I was a delegate to the convention, w^en-* 
he was nominated for congress. An address to the re- 
pubHcans of the county, in favour of his election, was 
drawn by me, and since that time and even before, I 
have been familiar with all his political movements. 
In short he has been, through life, a good citizcnj .. 
kind neighbour, and in my humble judgment, an hgne^ 
upright man. 




December 31st, 1851. — It is just forty-one 
ago this evening, since I wrote those lines dh thS 
of the year, 1810, which are inserted in this chapter. 
What a strange coincidence it is, that without any pre- 
concert, it should so happen that I am this day reading 
and correcting the proof sheet of that very production. 

Forty-one j'^ears ! what changes have been wrought. 
How solemn the reflection that those years have thus 
rapidly passed away, and have brought me so near the 
close of hfe. Yet so it is; and although avast majority 
of those who entered with me upon life's busy stage, 
have been called away, and their accounts made up 
and closed for ever ; 1 am still spared and have great 
cause to thank the sovereign disposer of events, for 
his manifold blessings and goodness. 

Here I am ; an old man, my children grown up ; 
and my grandchildren about me. I can truly saj^ with 
Lord Byron, " I am not now, that which I have been." 



U9 



REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER VIL 




^cdl 'Matters. — Madness and extreme folly of the Fede* 
l^alists. — "Fete of the Legitimates y' with introductory 
remarks. 

the republicans of our congressional district, 
^t4he republicans throughout the state, took a 

^ed. I^iq-^d in favor of the war, and for sustaining 
the adtniiii'stration in its vigorous prosecution. I was 
secretary of the congressional convention, and wrote the 
address to the electors. I have recently looked over 
the old manuscript, which though decidedly approba- 
tory of the war, shows a labored effort to make it 
acceptable to the people : and so we found it on going 
to the ballot box, for our candidates were defeated. 

I have also been looking over some of my old 
political productions of 1S09 and 10, which call up re- 
collections of the points in issue between the republican 
and federal parties of those times. 

To politicians of the present day, who do not 
recollect so far back, and who have not read the 
newspapers pubhshed at those periods, it would be 
interesting, as well as instructing, to mark the differ- 
ences between the two great parties, and the issues 
raised to be passed upon, at each election. The federal 
party, great and powerful, particularly in the northern 
and eastern states, had been hurled from power on the 
election of Mr. Jefferson. 

That party embraced a great proportion of the mer- 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 119 

chants and commercial men, and much of the talent of 
the country. Though defeated in 1801, they did not 
give up the contest; but kept up their organization, 
ready to seize upon any false step of the administration, 
or any pretence to render it unpopular. Hence they 
represented the democratic, or republican party as being 
under French influence, and subservient to the views 
of the government of France. 

There was a time during the early part of the 
French revolution, when great numbers of our people 
(I will not say a majority) desired to favor France; and 
those most ardent, seemed prepared to make common 
cause, and rush into an alliance, that must have 
involved us in the wars that grew out of that revolution. 

This feeling was perfectly natural. We had re- 
cendy come out of a seven year's contest with Great 
Britain, with feelings highl}'- exasperated against her. 
France had been our ally, and had assisted to gain our 
independence. 

The French people were now struggling for liberty, 
against an arbitrary government, that had ruled and 
oppressed the nation with feudal, ecclesiastical, and 
aristocratic restrictions, for a thousand years ; and the 
crowned heads of Europe were in league and battle 
array against them. 

They appealed to us ; and French emissaries were 
among us, insidiously endeavoring to fraternise, and in- 
duce us to cast off our neutralit}'-, and assume a 
belligerent attitude. Had we been powerful as now, we 
should very likely have rushed into the contest to aid 
France. It required all the firmness and popularity of 
Washington to withstand these popular impulses. 
Hence had the charge been confined to several j'ears 
during the administrations of Washington, and the 



.120 REMINISCENCES 

elder Adams, that we had a French parly among us, 
there would have been truth in the charge, to a con- 
siderable extent. 

The federal party had imbibed and encouraged 
strong prejudices against the French, which were 
strengthened by the enormities of the revolutionists; 
and when the empire under Buonaparte was establish- 
ed, and the boasted liberties of that country were 
crushed in the strong grasp of a military despot ; they 
pointed to the result as a consummation of their previous 
predictions. 

With feelings exasperated almost to madness against 
France, it was natural for men to lean strongly to the 
other side ; and hence partialities for England very 
generally pervaded the masses of the federal party ; 
quite as decidedly so as could ever have been rightly 
charged against the republican part}'', of favoritism to 
France. 

When I speak of partialities for England, as per- 
vading the federal party at a more early day, I speak 
of it as contra-distinguished from their feelings towards 
France. That the public mind should be divided in 
our country, as between France and England, was to 
be expected. Our feelings would naturally sympathise 
with one or the other belligerent, nor would this differ- 
ence be essential. But the federalists vi'ent far beyond 
this. They were so determined in their opposition to 
Mr. Jefferson's administration — so bent on acquiring 
political power, by putting down the republican party, 
that overstepping the line of propriety, and sacrificing 
their patriotism at the shrine of part}^ politics, impru- 
dently for their political reputation, and future chance 
of success, they not only became the apologists of 
Britain, but took the British side in almost every contro- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 121 

verted point between that government and ours. The 
impressment of seamen was glossed over by them. 

The Berlin and Milan decrees of the French Emperor 
promulgated, the one in Nov. 1S06, and the other in 
Jan. 1807, with the British orders in council of nearly 
the same period, were calculated to sweep a large pro- 
portion of our commerce from the ocean. The execu- 
tive of the country became acquainted with these de- 
crees and orders before they went into effect, and before 
the public knew of their existence. Mr. Jefferson, by 
special message, recommended an embargo ; a law for 
which was immediately passed by congress, and this 
was justified as a prudential measure, as well as follow- 
ing a precedent of Genl. Washington, who for a limited 
period resorted to an embargo, during his administra- 
tion. 

It was certainly a rank measure, and operated with 
destructive severity on the commercial and agricultural 
pursuits of the middle, northern and eastern states ; 
nay, it brought ruin and desolation in its train ; and 
excited a determined opposition to its enactments, and 
open threats of resistance. Had the embargo been for 
a limited period, say three to six months, to have put 
the commercial interests on their guard, and enabled 
them to meet the risks they were to encounter; I have 
no doubt, it would have been acquiesced in as a pru- 
dential measure, with much more unanimity and com- 
placency. But its limitation, depended on certain con- 
tingencies, which might or might not happen in an in- 
definite period; and this, instead of promoting commerce, 
as the constitution contemplated, was argued by the 
federal leaders to be its destruction ; and it was nearly 
so, for the time being. Such a measure could not be 
sustained now, but would prostrate any administration 



122 REMINISCENCES y 

that should attempt it. Now we are powerful and feel 
an ability to chastise aggressors, which we then neither 
felt or possessed. As it was, the great body of repub- 
licans stuck to the administration, and justified the em- 
bargo, as both wise and prudent ; on which point their 
opponents joined issue, and seemed likely to regain 
their lost ascendancy, had not England and France 
rescinded or modified their decrees and orders ; which 
enabled the President to remove the embargo, and the 
democrats to allege that it had coerced the two great 
belligerents to succumb, and come to our tertns. I do 
not intend to intimate that the embargo caused more 
losses to commercial men than would have been suf- 
fered under the decrees and orders, had our merchants 
gone on with their usual shipments without restraint. 
The losses must have been great in either event, and 
must have been sorely felt in every portion of the 
country. 

The restrictive measures of the government (embar- 
go and non-intercourse) exasperated and confirmed the 
federalists in a detetvmined opposition ; and to give 
effect to their exertions, they condemned the adminis- 
tration and took the English side on almost every con- 
troverted question. Their leaders were designated by 
the British press as the leaders of the English iJarty in 
the United States. 

After congress had declared in 1809 by an almost 
unanimous vote, (only two negatives, and they federa- 
lists) " that the United States could not submit to the 
French decrees and British orders in council without a 
sacrifice of their rights as an independent nation," and 
after Pearce had been killed in our own Avaters ; the 
frigate Chesapeake attacked and captured by the ship 
Leopard; with reiterated instances of impressments; 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 123 

the federal press and federal leaders had the imprudent 
hardihood to deny that we had any just cause of war. 

Some even said we had no cause of complaint, and 
charged the administration with a desire to plunge the 
country in war with England, to gratify national pre- 
judices and assist the French. 

-' To show that I have not misrepresented the federal 
party, I will select a few articles, which those who 
lived at that time or will look at the newspapers of the 
day, will find are not overdrawn, beyond the general 
scope of political effusions of that party. 

England, on one occasion, was alluded to " as the 
bulwark of our religion." A governor of one of the 
New England States gave the following toast, which 
was drank with acclamation, " The world's last hope ; 
England's fast anchored Isle." 

The Boston Centinel of Sep. 10th, 180S, has the following : 
" This perpetual embargo, being unconstitutional, 
every man will perceive that he is not bound to regard 
it. If the petitions do not produce a relaxation or re- 
moval of the embargo, the people ought immediately to 
assume a higher tone." 

The Boston Gazette: 
" It is better to suffer amputation of a limb, than to 
lose the whole body. We must prepare for the opera- 
tion. Wherefore then is New England asleep? where- 
fore does she submit to the oppression of enemies in the 
south ? have we no Moses, who is inspired by the God 
of our fathers, and will lead us out of Egypt ?" 

Extract from Rev. David Osgood's Sermon, April 8th, 

1810: 
" The strong prepossessions of so great proportion 



]24 REMINISCENCES 

of my fellow citizens in favor of a race of demons and 
against a nation of more religion, virtue, good faith, 
generosity and beneficence, than any that now is or 
ever has been upon the face of the earth, wring my 
soul with anguish, and fill my heart with apprehensions 
and terror of the judgments of heaven upon this sinful 
people." 

Another extract from this gentleman'' s sermon after the de- 
claration of war : 

" If at the command of weak and wicked rulers, 
they undertake an unjust war, each man who volunteers 
his services in such a cause, or loans his mone}^ for its 
support, or b}'' his conversations, his writings, or any 
other mode of influence encourages its prosecution, that 
man is an accomplice in the wickedness, loads his con- 
science with the blackest crimes, brings the guilt of 
blood upon his soul, and in the sight of God and his 
laws, is a murderer." 

llev. Elfsha Parish, April 7th, 1814, had the following : 

" The Israelites became weary of yielding the fruit 
of their labors to pamper their splendid tyrants. They 
left their political war; the}'' separated. Where is our 
jMoses ? where is the rod of his miracles? where is our 
Aaron? alas, no voice from the burning bush has di- 
rected them here. Such is the temper of American 
republicans, so called, that a new language must be 
invented before we attempt to express the baseness of 
their conduct or describe the rottenness of their hearts." 

" New England, if invaded, would be obliged to 
defend herself. Do 5'ou not then owe it to your chil- 
dren, and owe it to your God, to make peace for your- 
selves ?" 



BY LEVI BEAKDSLEY. 125 

One extract more from Rev. Mr. Gard7ier''s discotcrse, 
July 23rd, 1S12 : 

" What consequence is it to you, if they be repealed 
or not, if you are sold to Napoleon, as you have reason 
to believe, by the slaves who have abused your confi- 
dence ? 

" Let no consideration, my brethren, whatever deter 
you, at all times, and in all places, from execrating 
the present war. 

" It is a war unjust, foolish and ruinous. 

"As Mr. Madison has declared war, let Mr. Madison 
carry it on. The union has been long since virtually 
dissolved, and it is full time that this part of the dis- 
united states should take care of itself." 

These are but a few specimens of ebullition of feel- 
ings, that ever3'where teemed from the federal press 
and federal pulpits. How could a party of sensible 
men expect to succeed, with effusions so wanting in 
patriotism, and bordering, if carried into effect, soclosely 
on treason? 

The war of 1812 went on, and the federalists, with 
unabated rancour, continued their denunciations against 
the government ; many of their leaders and the federal 
press taking the English side on that question. There 
were many honorable exceptions, but it cannot with 
truth be denied, that the great body of the party, par- 
ticularly in the eastern and northern slates, denounced 
the war, and refused .& cordial support. The eastern 
federalists not only refused to support the war, but 
threatened resistance. The Hartford convention was 
gotten up, but negotiations at Ghent having resulted in 
a termination of hostilities, that convention dispersed 
under an odium that the leaders have never been able 
to shake ofT. 



126 REMINISCENCES 

Now the federal party should never have placed' 
itself in an attitude so wanting in patriotism. If, for a 
single instance, it might have been overlooked and for- 
given ; but it was reiterated from year to year, as if 
there was, in their opinion, no American pride, or love 
of country, except as it exhibited itself in opposition to 
our own government. 

That party was great and powerful, and had a large 
share of the wealth and talent of the country. It could 
not be that they intended to subvert their own govern- 
ment, or wished to change it for another ; for it had men 
of intelligence and patriotism, who had fought for the 
liberties of the country, and no doubt were inclined to 
defend them, if actually and seriously assailed. 

Such a man as Col. Timothy Pickering, who had 
served with Washington during the revolution, and was 
now one of the most decided leaders of the federalists, 
could not be suspected of a desire to betray that country. 
No, it was party spirit, and party prejudices, so warp- 
ing the minds of honest patriotic men, that they ex- 
hibited themselves in such unfavourable attitudes, before 
the country, that many of them were never able to wipe 
out the stigma. 

Hence, on the election of Mr. Monroe, the once 
honorable parly appellation " federalist," was gladly 
thrown aside as a worn-out garment ; and no political 
leader has since been found, who had hardihood enough, 
to take it up. 

To have done so, or to do so now, would be regard- 
ed as evidence of political insanity ; and the name of a 
former great political party, when taken in connection 
with national transactions from 1S07 to 1815, will go 
down to posterity unblest and unhonored. 

It is marvellous that a party comprising so much 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 127 

talent and respectability, could have so little sagacity, 
as thus to place itself in the wrong, and enable their 
political adversaries to hold them up as unworthy of 
public confidence, which they were not slow to do. 

Thus the federal candidates were generally defeated; 
and the party leaders growing more wise from the 
often prostration of those they sought to elevate, hailed 
with avidity and joy, an opportunity to throw off their 
old cognomen, and mix themselves indiscriminately Avith 
their political opponents. 

Such, I have little doubt, will be the fate of ultra 
abolitionists, who desire to obtain power and place, by 
denouncing the compromises of the federal constitution, 
even to the destruction of that sacred instrument, and 
the prostration of that national strength, derived from 
the union of the states. 

So also, with nullifying mad caps, who seem to 
think the separation of the states a desirable consum- 
mation for all the toil, the sacrifices, and blood of the 
revolution. 

Mad and insane, as the leaders of these opposing 
factions are, they are aiming at, and laboring for the 
same result. But I trust there is sufficient patriotism, 
sufficient American feeling, and love of country and of 
the union of the states, to consign to infamy those who 
shall attempt to prostrate the political temple reared by 
our fathers ; or dissever the ligaments that bind the 
various portions together. 

Have these madmen ever considered the injury they 
would inflict on the cause of civil liberty, could they 
effect the severance of these stateg ? 

What a sad exhibition would be presented ; and 
how would the despots of Europe, and their abettors 
chuckle if they could witness the failure of the " model 



128 REMINISCENCES 

republic." Where would liberty find a resting place if 
driven from these states? And driven from them it 
would be with the destruction of the union ; for hence- 
forth, civil wars, intestine broils, blood-shed and car- 
nage; with jealousies, and intense hatred, would follow 
in the train of disunion, with as much certainty as 
night follows day. 

The strong hand of a military despot, would most 
likely take the place of our present free government ; 
and those who should come after us, would have abun- 
dant cause to mourn in "sackcloth and ashes," the 
weakness, the wickedness, and extreme folly of those 
who had been instrumental in subverting the pillars of 
the republic, and destroying the only free government 
on earth. 

From a consummation so dire, so disastrous in con- 
sequences, and so deleterious to the cause of freedom, 
throughout the world, we may well say in the language 
of the church " Good Lord deliver us." 

As I have in the course of this chapter brought in 
review to a limited extent the derelictions and short 
comings of the federal party, which contributed to 
weigh them down in public estimation, and to afEx a 
stigma, that more than thirty-six years have scarcely 
effaced. My readers must excuse me for inserting a 
production, that appeared in the Boston Patriot, Dec. 
13th, 1815. Who the author was, I have never learned ; 
but the satire is so keen, and the hits so palpable, in 
reference to the legitimates in Europe, and the leaders 
of the Hartford convention, who represented a large 
portion of the eastern, federalists, that its perusal by the 
present generation cannot be unacceptable. 

It must be borne in mind, that the " poem," or 
" vision," or whatever else it may be called, was pub- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 129 

lished in December 1815, about six months after the 
decisive battle of Waterloo, w^hich was fous^ht on the 
18th of June, of that year. 

The result of that tremendous conflict, was the 
downfall of Buonaparte, who was sent as an exile or 
state prisoner to St. Helena ; and the Bourbons were 
restored. The inquisition had been revived in Spain ; 
aud the crowned heads of the principal powers in Eu- 
rope, known as the " Holy Alliances," who regarded 
themselves as legitimates, were in conclave, adjusting 
the balance of power, subjecting Europe to the old 
order of things, by which kings, lords, nobles, and 
priests, were almost deified and the yeomanry again 
reduced to servitude. 

The most extravagant pretensions of divine right 
and kingly power were put forward, and all concessions 
of popular rights were declared to emanate from the 
crown, as a free gift to the people, which they had no 
right to require. To understand the allusions to the 
Prince Regent, it must be borne in mind, that in conse- 
quence of the insanity of the old king, (George III.) 
the Prince of Wales, who on the death of the king, 
succeeded to the throne as George TV., had, by act of 
parliament, been placed at the head of government as 
the Prince Regent, 

The current reports of the lime, which subsequent 
historical and biographical sketches fully corroborate, 
represent him as a man, gentlemanly in his appearance 
and address, a social companion, but leading a life of 
scandalous debauchery, which he took no special pains 
to conceal. 

He had insulted, quarrelled with, and put away his 
wife soon after their marriage. This marriage took 
place in April, 1795, and was the result of state nego- 

9 



130 REMINISCENCE g . 

tiation, in which the prince and princess had no parti- 
cular concern. 

They had never seen each other, and he spoke of it 
as buying a pig in a poke ; not a very refined expres- 
sion, when appUed to a lady who was to be his wife. 
The negotiation was entrusted to Lord Malmesbury. She 
was Princess CaroHne, of Brunswick, and had been 
brought up in that petty German court, with a limited 
education, coarse in her manners, very little refinement, 
and altogether disqualified to shine at an English court. 

An imprudent, romping girl, and nearly spoiled in 
bringing up, yet probably virtuous when she came to 
England ; she had no qualities that were calculated to 
win the Prince or secure his affections. Bell, in his 
life of Canning, says, " she had scarcely touched our 
shores, when the timid feelings of the bride were out- 
raged and insulted, by finding Lady Jersey already 
installed, and retained too, in spite of the expressed 
interdict of the sovereio-n." 

When she was taken to the palace, the prince came 
to ner, after some delay, and having received her, turned 
away, and called for a glass of brandy, and when 
water was suggested, he refused it with an oath. Lady 
Charlotte Bury relates, that the night of the wedding 
the prince reeled drunk into the bridal chamber, and 
fell under the grate. 

This is corroborated in part by Lord Malmesbury, 
who says, " that on the evening of the wedding day 
the prince appeared unhappy, and as a proof of it, 
had manifestly had recourse to wine or spirits." 

The princess said "judge what it was to have a 
drunken husband, on one's wedding day ; and one who 
passed the greater part of his bridal night under the 
grate, where he fell, and where I left him. If any- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 131 

body says to me at dls moment, will you pass your life 
over again, or be killed ? I would choose death." " Oh, 
mine Got," she would say, " I could be the slave of 
a man I love, but one whom I love not, and who did 
not love me, impossible." 

It is sufficient to say, that the Prince became pre- 
judiced and disliked her. He abandoned her, and she 
maintained a separate establishment, where she indulged 
in her coarse girlish amusements, romped and played 
blind man's buff, eat onions, drank ale, which in her 
broad German she called oil. Though imprudent in 
her conduct, there was no evidence of criminaHty, 
while she remained in England, though she was closely 
watched by spies and retainers. 

In 1814, she retired to the continent, where she re- 
mained till the death of George III, in 1820, when she 
returned and insisted on being acknowledged and crown- 
ed as Queen Carohne of England. 

The English government, knowing the scandal that 
would be elicited, in reference to George IV, as well as 
the queen, if a pubhc trial should take place, which 
could not fail to shock the moral sense of the nation, 
offered to settle on her, for life, 50,000 pounds sterling 
annually, ($200,000,) if she would live abroad, under 
an assumed name. This she refused, and the celebra- 
ted trial of the Queen was commenced ; which after 
several weeks progress, and a display of the finest 
legal and forensic talent of England, resulted in the 
abandoning of the trial and the quasi triumph of the 
queen. 

The English people sympathized with her, partly 
no doubt from the fact that she was a woman, and rela- 
tive of the king, as well as his wife ; that she was the 
mother of the princess Charlotte, who, before her death. 



132 REMINISCENCES 

had been adored by the nation, but more from the fact 
that an infamous system of espionage had been practised- 
against her, and that Itahan pimps and spies had been 
brought to England to ensure her destruction. More 
than all ; if she had been imprudent, or even corrupt, 
it was but a result that might be expected, from the 
shameful treatment she had received from her husband : 
and though to be regretted, yet a merited retribution for 
the profligate life he had led ; that whatever her faults 
were, he had no right to complain. Her death soon 
after, relieved the nation from a further discussion of a 
painful subject; and left the king, her husband, to close 
his short reign, without further annoyance from an in- 
jured woman. 

It was while she was residing abroad that the poem 
was written ; in reference to which foreign residence, 
the prince is made to say, " I am rid of my wife, &c." 

The notorious Mary Ann Clark, was then in the 
ascendant, and Mrs. Hamilton, who had been Nelson's 
favorite up to the time of his death in 1805, was now 
wooed by others. 

Bearing these preliminary remarks in view, and 
keeping in remembrance what was going on in Europe, 
and the principal topics that excited and divided the 
American people, my readers cannot but appreciate 
the article as illustrative of the feelings and views enter- 
tained at that time. Whether they approve or disap- 
prove of the sentiments inculcated, or those matters 
brought into ridicule, they can hardly deny the merits 
of the performance. 

Without further remarks or apologies for inserting a 
newspaper production, which I have preserved thirty- 
six years, I will introduce to my readers : — 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 13S 

"THE MERRY-GO-ROUND, OR FETE OF ' THE 
LEGITIMATES.— A VISION." 

The moonbeam on the ocean slept, 
No breeze her tranquil bosom swept, 
1 look'd abroad, and sens'd the pow'r 
Of midnight's chill and awful hour ; 
I watch'd the stars unclouded beamingr. 

Or 

I watch'd the north-light fitful streaming, 
Save that the startled sea-bird scream'd 
When o'er the deep the meteor gleam'd, 
All silent was the awful gloom. 
As if night's vault were nature's tomb. 

The scene august my fancy fir'd, * 

My mind to solemn thought inspir'd ; 

I view'd the folly, crime, and woe. 

Too well, that wretched mortals know ; 

I thought of mitres, crowns, and thrones, 

Of dungeons, racks, and dying groans; 

I saw the few in splendor shining, 

I saw the million hopeless pining, 

I sicken'd at the tyrant's jDow'r, 

The tyrant's wrath, the victim's hour. 

(*) E'en now, methought, in " dungeon damps" confin'd, 

There sinks to ruin many a noble mind; 

E'en now, despair affrights befriending sleep. 

From the lone couch, where worth and genius weep j 

Yes, for a word, a look, thought unexpress'd, 

Swift to the victim flew the tyrant's best, 

The hinges sullen turn, the bolts are driven. 

Farewell the breath of life, the light of heaven ; 

There shall dread reason from her mooring swing, 

And there shall fancv droop her angel wing; 

* There are at tliis moment, 50,000 oi the friends of liberty 
imprisoued iu Spain. 



134 REMINISCENCES 

There shall his cheek grow pale, there fade his eye, 
There shall he mourn and madden, sink and die. 

There stands the palace — there the great ones meet, 
And kings, and priests, (*) and lords, their fellows greet; 
Blithe winds the dance, to minstrelsy divine, 
And mirth and song, a wreath of joy entwine ; 
Fair flows the light, from tapers many hu'd, 
Athwart as bright a scene as fancy ever view'd. 

I see that blaze, so dazzling, and yet bright'ning, 

The prison's massy battlements enlight'ning ; 

When stops the dance, when sinks the music's swell, 

Far other sound breaks from that prison's cell ; 

(Curse on their mirth, hell blight their smiles of gladness,) 

Oh ! 'tis the laugh, the shriek of" moody madness." 

Why there ? — does rankling guilt extort that cry ? 

Does murder haunt 1 — or foul adultery? 

Oh no, mere trifles these to 7nonarc7is seem, 

He wept, he wish'd, and freedom was the theme. 

How long, uncheck'd, shall tyrants madly run, 

And millions tremble at the frown of one ? 

I gave the victim all I could, a tear, 

And thank'd kind heav'n, that kindly placed me here, 

In this sweet land, where I can spurn the throne, 

And scoff at crown'd heads, and yet wear my own. 

Fast wan'd the night, chill rose the blast, 
The sere leaves rustled as it past. 
The east disclos'd the tints of day, 
Low in the west orion hung. 
And the dim moon, her farewell ray 
Faint o'er the troubled waters flung ; 
The moaning wind soon lull'd to rest 

• I refer to the priests of religious establishments, and under a head 
whose kingdom is of this world. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 135 

My mind with thought of woe deprest ; 
Yet, fancy wak'd, and o'er my slumbers 
Warbled in wild and varied numbers ; 
She seiz'd the shreds of waking thought, 
And lo, the tissue strange she wrought. 



THE VISION. 

I imagined myself on a spacious plain, surrounded by 
palaces, temples and splendid pavilions. In one of the tem- 
ples, they were chaunting " Te Deuni ;" the full organ swelled 
on the breeze, and never before had I witnessed " such sweet, 
such solemn notes divine." The music ceased, I approached 
the palace, and heard the noise of evelry and debauch ; at 
length the tumult partially subsided, and I caught the follow- 
ing strain : — 

Nightly shalt thou watch the star, 
Trembling o'er the wave afar ; 
Thy music is the billow's roar. 
On Helen's wuld and rocky shore; 
And when thou seest fne passing sail, 
Tiiy sigh, thy tear shall nought avail ; 
No eye of love shall beam on thee, 
But deadly hate thy portion be ; 
Nor shall that infant's angel smile, 
Thy bosom of one pang beguile. 

The song continued, but my atten on was called away by 
^ a procession of Liguisitors, slowly mo%'ing across the plain 
with heretics bound. 

CHORUS OF INQUISITORS. 

Blood — blood — oh blof d. 

Dear mother thou shalt have it; 
Blood- blood — oh blood, 

For keenly dost thou crave it. 



136 REMINISCENCES 

How dim has burnt thy light, 

How has thy sun been clouded, 
Oh, cheerless was the long, long night, 

That deep thy glories shrouded. 

How didst thou shriek in wild affright, 
As oft (to thee) a baleful light 

Athwart its gloom would blazon ; 
As oft upon that night's dread stillness, 
There broke a Voice which boded illness,. 

The light — the voice of reason.^ 

That light is quench'd that voice is still, 
And on the high and holy hill 

Thy seat once more assuming. 
Thou richly shalt redeem the past, 
And heresy shall shrink aghast 

To see thy glories looming. 

Blood — blood — oh blood, 

(*) Long has the church been thirsting, 
She hankers for the crimson flood, 

Her sons, with holy wrath are bursting. 

The march was staid, the chorus ended, 

The pyre was rais'd, the flame ascended ; 

Good angels wept — ^hell laugh'd, to view 

The crimson banner wave anew. 

And dire anathemas were hurl'd, 

At him (t) who late that banner fuil'd; — 

* Reference is here had to no particular church, but to the spirit of 
an established priesthood, the villainy of which has ever been propor- 
tionate to its power: whether orthodox or heretical, whether headed by 
Tope, Patriarch, Protector, or Prince Regent, the Priests of Constantiue 
and Coustantius were alike given to persecution. Calvin burnt Servetus, 
and our pious forefathers were hugely delighted with the smell of a 
roasted Quaker. 

t Doctor Buchanan allows that Buonaparte destroyed the Inquisition 
in Spain, though he supposes, as in duty bound, that it was for no good 
motive. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 137 

And oh, 'twas awful then to see 

The flame around them close ; 
To hear the shriek of agony, 

Which from that flame arose. 

" Father in heaven, oh, pitying see ; 
" Father, we look alone to thee ;" 
Nor look in vain — the woe is past — 
All still — and that faint shriek the last. 

Oh, mother church, in scarlet flaunting gay, 
I know thou little heed'st my humble lay ; 
Thine is the rack, the dungeon and the fire ; 
To thee, how harmless then the poet's ire. 
Yet no mean pleasure doth it yield my heart 
To tell thee, graceless hag how foul thou art. 
To flout thee, beldame, and the reptile fiy, 
That spring and fatten in thy reeking sty. 

I next beheld a procession of monks, marching in quick 
time toward a monastery, which had lately been swept, aired 
and prepared for their reception. They chaunted a peculiar 
kind of metre, wherein they set forth the praises of fat living, 
and celebrated the downfall of the " Tyrant,^'' the restoration 
of the Bourhons, and the re-enslavement of the "p?e5e?a«*," 
for their support in sloth and luxury. They continued the 
shout till they reached the monastery, when the discharge of 
cannon called my attention to another part of the plain, 
where I beheld a glorious spectacle indeed ; a company of 
monaichs, with Alexander the deliverer of — Poland at their 
head, advanced in measured step, to the sound of " flutes and 
soft recorders," and halting in the middle of the plain raised 
the following chorus : — 

CHORUS OF KINGS. 
Come, come away, 

Monarchs all haste hither ; 
Hail, hail the day. 

That calls us thus together. 



138 REMINISCENCES 

Oh ! tremble ye not at the ill boding stai' 

That shone on the vine-cinctur'd vallies of France, 

How baleful that lustre, when, beaming afar, 

Thrones rock'd on their bases, that caught but its glance. 

The crown had no brightness, and craz'd with its splendor. 

No more shrank the vassal with awe. 
Nor the throne, nor the sceptre, would shield the offender, 

For the will of the people was law. 
'Tis past, they are down, and we'll bind them and grind them, 
And hunt them, and fleece them, wherevei' we find them, 
"While the sorceress church, flings a mist that shall blind them,* 

Come, come away, 

Monarchs all haste hither ; 
Hail, hail the day. 

That calls us thus together. 

A full band now struck up " God save the King," and 'le 
Prince Regent entered, drunk, supported by two attendants^ 
and preceded by the Poet Laureat. 

ODE BY THE LAUREAT. 

Hail to the chieftain, who reeling advances, 

As fat as a porpoise, and drunk as a swine ; 
Oh could he but stand, he would join in your dances, 
E'en now, save his highness, he'll guzzle your wine. 
Oft on the downy bed, 
Low have I seen his head, 
And faintly would he murmur, " Oh, pour, vassals, pour ;" 
When his royal lip was pale. 
When his eye august would fail, 
Yet fainter would he murmur, " Oh, more, vassals, more." 

(*) The inhabitants of Mount Jura were actually slaves at the com- 
mencement of the French Revolution, being the absolute property of 
the noble Chapter of St. Claude ; and Jean Jacob, one of the natives 
who repaired to Paris in the year 1789, declared that the Abbot of Clair- 
\eaux was accustomed to shoot the peasants for his amusement. — See 
Stephens' History of the wars of the French Revolution, page 16, vol II- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 139 

Ours isTno milk-sop, now drunk and now steady, 

Moist'ning at beltane, in winter to dry, 
When one goblet's drained, aye another stands ready, 
And, " brandy, oh brandy," forever he'll cry. 

O fill his cup anew. 

Bring the brothel's treasures too. 
For there does he limit his wishes below ; 

Let all who hear it then. 

Send the shout back again. 
Hail to the Regent — ^boo ! ! — " ho ! ieroe !" 

Soft music, " "When pensive I thought on my love," and 
enter Bishop of Banbury and Mistress Clark, Bishop of 
Deny and Lady Hamilton, (*) Duke of Clarence, Mother 
Jordan, and the Marchioness of Hertford. 

BISHOP OF DERRY. 

Oh, dance away cheerily, sing away merrily, 

Now is the season for glee. 
May love bloom for ever, and schisms happen never, 

Between my dear Emma and me. 

Let infidel tribes, fling their jeers and their gibes. 

And heretics cavil and sneer. 
Oh blast their scurrility and all infidelity, 

Save thine to thy husband, my dear, (t) 

(I) PRINCE REGENT.— STILL supported. 

Huzza for Old England — huzza for her church — 

For of both do ye see I'm the head — 
Hold fast my good lads, or I fall in the lurch, 

Bad plight for a monarch so dread. 

(*) The Bishop of Derry was with thirty or forty others rival to Lord 
Nelson in the affection and favors of the "all accomplished and incom- 
parable." 

(t) I have softened the Bishop's language a little. Read his letter to 
Emma, and you will see thut blasting was but milk-and-water swearing 
to him. 

(t) Why meddle with the king and church at all ? Why not let every 
nation quietly enjoy its own institutions? and why do you not say, let 



140 REMINISCENCES 

Oh ne'er such a day have I seen in my life, 
I'm stewing in brandy, and melting in bliss, 

I'm rid of my foe, and I'm rid of my wife. 

Then come my dear Marchioness, give me a kiss. 

The Regent approaches a splendid altar, made of the 
golden throne recently taken without leave from the king of 
Ceylon — and think ye, by the way, that Buonaparte would 
have converted his plunder to such pious purposes ? No, no, 
Antichrist that he is ! He approached the altar, I say, and 
received the sacrament from the hands of the good Bishop of 
Derry, asd o all the pious young men in the army and navy. 
But now came an appalling spectacle indeed ; Mrs. Clarke 
shrieked, and Lady Hamilton fainted, for lo ! the Car of 
Juggernaut, drawn by five huge elephants, moved slowly 
across the scene 

JUGGERNAUT. 
Blood has swell'd the tide of Ganges, 

Red the Burrampooter flow'd. 
O'er ev'ry path the Hindoo ranges, 
Ruin has triumphant rode. 

Crowns have fall'n, and throne ai-e shatter'd, 

India weeps for woe and crime. 
With scorpion lash, her sons are scatter'd, 

Yet still unscathed I tow'r sublime. 

The " Bulwark's" health in blood I'll drink, 
Friend of Religion — aye, of mine. 
Let her but speak, my fane must sink, 
Long may she live to guard its shrine, 
Which one shall bow before that fane ? 
Mine be the glory, hers the — gain, * 

the sheep-stealer quietly follow his vocation, and give full credit to his 
pretensions to sanctity ? No, no — let not the crown or the episcopal robe 
shield the scoundrel, any more than the baize cap and leather breeches. 
I once heard of a society for suppressing vice, among those whose 
income is less than £200 a year — but I did not belong to it. 

• " The Temple of Juggernaut is under the immediate control of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 141 

Health to the " Bulwark" — India weeps ; 
Health to the" Bulwark" — Tippoo sleeps ; 
Health to the " Bulwark" — Millions mourn ; 
Yet of my sun, no beam is shorn. 

On mov'd the car, and on they madly rush'd, 
Its massy wheel, the wretched victims crush'd ; 
Yet o'er no head the awful engine roll'd, 
Till safely had the " Bulwark" touch'' d the gold. 



» 



My attention was now directed to a forlorn little group 
seated in a remote part of the plain, and zealously employed 
in draining the bottle, and devouring the snips, a basket of 
which was occasionally sent them from the palace kitchen. I 
approached the spot, and what was my astonishment on re- 
cognising the very persons who recently composed the very 
respectable 

HARTFORD CONVENTION. 

I was at first altogether indignant on beholding such choice 
characters served with slops and fragments, but soon finding 
that they were very well satisfied, concluded of course, that I 
had no business to be otherwise. I sat down to listen, in the 
certain hope of edification ; but was too late, for no sooner 
was I seated, than they arose and called on the chaplain to 
dismiss the table. I forget the name of this gentleman, I only 
know that he had been a large trader in geographies, and 
said some hard things about southern infidelity, and Rhode 
Island paganism ; and that from some scratches in his face, 
he appeared recently to have shared the fate of Sisera, whom 
the Lord delivered into the hands of a woman ; he accord- 
ingly rose and addressed the convention in the words following : 

the British Government, which levies a tax on the pilgrims as a source 
of revenue." — Buchanan, p. 110. 

* " After the car had proceeded some way, the pilgrim laid himself 
down before it, and was crushed to death ; how much I wished that the 
proprietors of India stock had been present and seen this peculiar source 
of their revenue." — Buchanan, p. 107. 



142 REMINISCENCES 

We thank the givers for theii' fare, 
For all their shreds and driblets; 

The bones were good, the slops were rare. 
And pleasant were the giblets. 

Long shall I ponder in delight, 

On this sublime occasion ; 
And ever bless with all my might, 

This pious congregation. 

I'll bless Old England's good Mon — archy 
And the whole brood of Rats too ; 

The Duke of York and Mistress Clarke, 
And all the Regent's brats too. 

I'll bless old mother Jordan kind, 
And bless the Duke of Clarence, 

And may she meet his princely mind, 
For many a pleasant year hence. 

Bless Juggernaut and bless the Pope, 
And bless the scarlet too, 

And praise and bless the world's last hope. 
Henceforth, for evermore too. 

I'll bless the good legitimates 
And all their comely madams, 

Bless all — except the Democrats, 
And eke Miss H A . 

Che charm dissolved — bright rose the sun- 
Then hush my lyre — the lay is done. 



■':i*' 



OF LEVI BEARDSLET. 143 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Senatorial Convention, 1813. — Parley, Keyes, and Incident 
with Whittlesey. — Visit Niagara Falls, 1815, — Appear- 
ance and Impressions. — Chippeway and Bridgewater 
Battle Fields. — Incidents. — Squirrels swimming the Nia- 
gara. — Buffalo and Western New York. — Observations 
and general remarks. 

I HAD never been to Western New York, till 1815. 
The spring of 1811, 1 went to Onondaga Hollow; and in 
February, 1813, went as a delegate from Otsego, to the 
"Western District senatorial convention, at Onondaga 
Hill. That district then extended so far east as to in- 
clude Schoharie and Herkimer, and now comprises 
one half of the population of the state. John Nicho- 
las, of Ontario, was president of the convention; and 
Enos T. Throop, (since governor) secretary. So far as 
I can recollect, nearly all who attended are dead, ex- 
cept Governor Throop and myself, and I think Thomas 
Skinner, of Utica. What a change within so few 
years ! 

Here I first became acquainted with the late Henry 
Seymour, then a merchant at Pompey, a most estimable 
man, and father of Horatio Seymour, democratic can- 
didate for Governor, at the recent election; who, though 
he failed by about three hundred votes, was well worthy 
the support of his party. 

The convention took a decided stand in favor of the 
war, passed strong resolutions for its vigorous prosecu- 
tion ; and to test the views of the electors, nominated 



144 REMINISCENCES , 

those who had been actively engaged in actual service, 
or conspicuous in support of war measures. 

Col. Stranahan, of Otsego, and Col. Bloom, of 
Cayuga, were nominated ; they had both been in Queen- 
ston battle, and the latter wounded; Parley Keyes, 
of Jefferson county, who had been sheriff, and an 
earnest supporter of the war, was now first brought 
forward as a legislator. We elected our whole ticket, 
for the Western district was then the most reliable 
democratic district of the state. 

The venerable Joshua Hathaway, of Oneida, was 
a delegate, as was also Chillis Doty, of Lewis county, 
father of Governor Doty, now member of congress, and 
of Baron S. Doty, who read law with me, was with me 
in the assembly of 1826, and now resides at Buffalo. 

Those of my readers who recollect political events, 
and politicians who were active and influential from 
twenty- five to thirty-five years ago, need not be told 
that Parley Keyes was amongst those who in a great 
measure swayed the democratic party. He was a man 
of strong, intellectual powers, coarse and uncultivated, 
for his education was exceedingly limited; but he was 
full of expedients, shrewd in his observations, and as a 
political manager, far above many who supposed them- 
selves the great men of the state. I am not going into 
a discussion of his merits, or his political standing, but 
to readers who have grown up since he was in active 
life, an incident in which he was a conspicuous actor 
will not be without its interest. 

Near the close of the war of 1812, Mr. Whittlesey, 
a lawyer of Watertown, where Mr. Keyes resided, was 
paymaster for a portion of the troops, and was entrusted 
with large sums of money. Mr. Keyes and Jason 
Fairbanks, esq., the latter of whom is still living at 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 145 

Watertown, were bail for Whittlesey. He had gone 
from home on official business, as he alleged, carrying 
a large amount of bank notes in his portmanteaus. 
They were cut and sliced ; and he alleged that the 
money had been abstracted and stolen. The amount 
was large enough to ruin both his bondsmen in case they 
had it to pay. 

For some reasons not necessary to mention, they 
believed he had robbed himself, and kept a strict watch 
on his movements, which resulted in the full conviction 
that he had the money, or knew where it was. 

. Keyes and Fairbanks were both of them firm, 
resolute men, who were determined to bring the matter 
to an issue at once; and to put "Whittlesey to a test 
that should elicit the truth, if there was any truth in 
him. 

They induced him to accompany them to a se- 
cluded spot, where they questioned him about the money ; 
but he denied all knowledge of it, except that it had 
been stolen. Not being able to induce a confes- 
sion by mild means, they charged the theft directly 
upon him ; told him they were ruined if they must pay 
the money ; that they did not prize life so highly, with 
beggary staring them in the face, as to restrain them 
from acts of violence ; and unless he would restore the 
money they would drown him, and risk the con- 
sequences. On his persisting in his innocence, they 
seized him and immersed him head and ears under 
water, and held him there a considerable time, but he 
still made no confession. 

Telling him they would certainly drown him, they 

thrust him under again, and kept him there till life was 

in danger, when they took him out, but he again denied 

it. They then gave him fair notice, that unless con- 

10 



146 REMINISCENCES 

fession was made, he might rely on t1t,at being the last 
opportunity he would have to make a disclosure ; when 
on seizing him the third time, he became alarmed, and 
promised to inform them where the money was, if they 
would spare him. 

He conducted them to his house, and to the room of 
Mrs. Whittlesey, who was found in the act of sewing 
the bank notes in a garment of her own, for conceal- 
ment. She was a high-minded, well educated New- 
England woman, whose reputation had been, previous 
to this transaction, beyond reproach. 

As soon as they arrived, the enormity of the deed 
and its disclosure, with all the fearful consequences, 
flashed upon her mind. Giving her husband a wild, 
but withering look, she reproached him for his coward- 
ice, in preferring life and dishonor, to secresy and 
resolute death. She said that to Aer, life was not so 
desirable as to be retained at such sacrifices ; that 
though a woman, she had spirit and courage to set him 
an example, that he should have adopted, rather than 
to have subjected the family to obloquy and disgrace ; 
but which from his craven spirit, she did not expect him 
to imitate. Then seizing her bonnet, she rushed in a 
perfect frenzy from the room, and ran towards the river, 
where boiling and surging its turbid waters roll in wild 
commotion through a deep chasm of rocks. 

Approaching the edge of the pi'ecipice, she for a 
moment looked round, as if to take a last survey of 
earthly objects, when with an air of triumph, she threw 
away her bonnet, and leaped into the flood beneath. 
The dark waters of the Black river received and buried 
her for ever; and thus the high-minded, gifted but 
erring womap, too proud to survive disgrace, made that 
shockins; sacrifice of self-immolation, which with those 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 147 

of her strong nerve and elevated sentiment, is often the 
retribution of crime. 

Almost forty years have passed away, and yet the 
transaction is vivid in the minds of those who lived at 
the time ; and the place is still pointed out where she 
took that last fatal leap, and thus closed her earthly 
career. 

In the autumn of 1815, I visited what is appropri- 
ately known as Western New York. Taking the stage, 
with my wife and child, we were rapidly trundled over 
the rough and muddy roads to Ontario county. On 
arriving there where peaches were plenty, and quite a 
rarity with us, like Falstaff, I found myself " heinously 
unprovided for," and like him, wanted "a good thief; 
one that could steal well, of about the age of three and 
twenty." 

Leaving my wife there to make a family visit, I 
went on horseback to Buffalo; crossed the Niagara at 
Black Rock, and thence down the river to Chippeway, 
where I stayed all night, and next day visited the falls. 
The appearance of the rapids above, as the water 
rushed and tumbled along, was grand and imposing; 
and being the first time I had ever seen them, the im- 
pression on my mind was, from its novelty, more vivid 
than at any subsequent period. The great fall viewed 
from table rock was the consummation of all that is 
magnificently sublime, picturesque and solemn. The 
wild agitation of the water, as it rushed to take its final 
leap; the roar of the cataract; the boiling, surging flood 
beneath ; the strong rush of air forced up by the im- 
mense weight of the descending column; the spray 
forming a constant shower ; and the beautiful rainbow, 
with all its prismatic hues, present to the beholder, on 
first looking at them a spectacle grand beyond description. 



148 REMINISCENCES 

I have often viewed them since from almost every 
position ; but never with such emotions and awe as at 
this my first visit. What an exhibition of Almighty 
power ! and what an emblem of eternity is suggested, 
in the constant, solemn flow of that great river, as it 
hurries along towards its final resting place ! 

Those who have read and admired the sublime and 
beautiful description of Lord Byron, of an Italian cata- 
ract, (and who has ever read it without admiring?) will 
not doubt that, had he viewed Niagara, the inspiration of 
his mighty genius, would have prompted an eff'usion, 
that would have lasted as long as Niagara itself. How 
he would have felt, and how he would have written, had 
he visited the great American cataract, may be partly 
imagined from the foliovvmg extract, above referred to : 

BYRON'S DESCRIPTION OF A CATARACT. 
CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE, 

Alh canto, 69 tk verse, 

" The roar of waters ! — from the headlong height 
Velino cleaves the wave w^orn precipice j 
The fall of waters ! rapid as the light 
The flashing mass foams shaking the ahyss ; 
The hell of waters ! where they howl and hiss, 
And boil in endless torture ; while the sweat 
Of their great agony, wrung out from this 
Their Phlegethon, curls round the rocks of jet 
That gird the gulf around, in pitiless horror set ;. 

( 70) 
" And mounts in spray the skies, and thence again 
Returns in an unceasing shower, which round 
With its unemptied cloud of gentle rain, 
Is an eternal April to the ground, 
Making it all one emerald ; — how profound 
The gulf! and how the giant element 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 149 

From rock to rock leaps with delirious bound, 
Crushing the cliffs, which, downward worn and rent 
"With his fierce footsteps, yields in chasms a fearful vent, 

( 71 ) 
** To the broad column which rolls on, and shows 
More like the fountain of an infant sea 
Torn from the womb of mountains by the throes 
Of a new world, than only thus to be 
Parent of rivers, which flow gushingly 
With many v/indings, through the vale : — look back ! 
Lo ! where it comes like an etei'nity, 
As if to sweep down all things in its track. 
Charming the eye with dread, — a matchless cataract, 

(72 ) 
" Horribly beautiful ! but on the verge, 
From side to side, beneath the glittering morn. 
An Iris sits, amidst the infernal surge, 
Like hope upon a death-bed ; and, unworn 
Its steady dyes, while all around is torn 
By the distracted watei's, bears serene 
Its brilliant hues with all their beams unshorn : 
Resembling, 'mid the torture of the scene, 
Love watching madness with unalterable mien." 

I had no desire at this my first visit, to venture 
under table rock beyond the descending column of 
water ; though I did at a subsequent period, when 
my old faithful dog attempted to follow me, but be- 
coming alarmed, he for the first time refused, and turned 
back : and when I had receded from his sight, he gave 
up all for lost, setting up a most doleful howling till my 
return. I have often heard it stated by those who had 
passed under the rock, that rattlesnakes were to be 
found there, which I do not believe. I saw many eels 
which I presume by others have been taken for snakes 



150 REMINISCENCES 

What could possibty induce a rattlesnake, who delights 
in warmth and sunshine, to visit so gloomy, chilly, and 
constantly wet receptacle? The story is incredible. 

After visiting the cataract, Mr. Forsyth, the gentle- 
manly keeper of the " pavilion," the then only hotel at 
the falls, went with me over the Lunday Lane (Bridge- 
water,) battle-field. 

He was in that sanguinary engagement, and pointed 
out the localities connected with it. This was but little 
more than a year after that terrible nocturnal conflict. 

Passing over a pasture where the fight commenced, 
and where great numbers were killed and wounded, 
we observed many bunches of luxuriant grass, which 
he assured me had grown thus rank, from the fertility 
imparted to the soil from the blood of the killed and 
wounded. What a sad inhuman fertilizer! 

A young officer of my acquaintance, who as lieu" 
tenant commandant, carried a company of upwards of 
sixty men into action, brought out only twenty-three 
uninjured. If I recollect right seventeen were killed, 
the others wounded. 

In 1816, the late Col. Leavenworth, who was then 
in Albany, as one of the representatives in assembly 
from Delaware county, and who was major of one of the 
regiments engaged in that hard contested battle, related 
to me many incidents that transpired during the four or 
five hours contest. 

Among other things he remarked, that in the course 
of the night his regiment during the darkness, had almost 
intermixed with the enemy. The two lines were within 
thirty or forty yards of each other, when several volleys 
were fired by each; our troops being cautioned to take 
the best aim they could from the flash of their adver- 
saries guns. The English mode of infantry firing, is to 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 151 

bring their pieces about breast high and discharge 
without taking aim. This will answer where the firing 
is in the dark, and the ground nearly level, but still I 
should think taking aim, even when it was imperfect, 
would be preferable to hap-hazard firing; and our 
troops practised it. 

Col. Leavenworth remarked, that they were so near 
each other, that at the flash of the enemy's guns, as 
they fired volley after volley, they could, through the 
darkness, by the lurid glare of the flash and blaze, see 
the faces, and even mark the countenances of their 
adversaries ; and also that the darkness and smoke 
combined with thefitful liarht made the faces of those in the 

O 

opposing ranks wear a sort of blue sulphureous hue, and 
the men at each flash had the appearance of laughing. 
His horse was shot under him, and if I recollect right, 
he was himself wounded. 

I had passed over the Chippewa battle field, and 
paused at the mounds where the dead were deposited; 
but the stench was too repulsive to render delay desira- 
ble.^ It was apparent the destroyer had revelled there, 
a few months before, when all was life, passion, and, 
excitement ; but now, those then so active, were forever 
hushed and still. 

All along the river, the trees and fences were covered 
with black squirrels, and thousands were swimming 
from the Canadian to the other side. I never saw them 
so plenty, anywhere before ; and have never seen them 
in such numbers in our own state as they were that 
year. There is something remarkable in regard to 
squirrels, as well as other animals, and birds also. 

They seem to have a presentiment or knowledge in 
relation to the season that is coming, and hence if 3^ou 
have a mild winter you find birds and migratory animals 



152 E.EMINISCENCES 

remaining, that usually go to the south. Thus it has been 
the present winter, (1S51) ; wild geese and other birds, 
thatalmostuniformlygo south tospend their winters, have 
remained in the vicinity of Rock Island, lUinois, and 
the upper Missisippi. I have no doubt that the migra- 
tion of squirrels from Canada to New York, in the fall 
of 1815, was induced from a knowledge that nuts and 
such food, as they rely upon in winter, would be scarce, 
and that a hard winter for them was comino- ; while in 
New York, nuts were unusually plenty, and so were 
squirrels, and remained so for several years. 

They could be seen in the river, in every direction, 
with their tails cocked up, which naturalists say are 
raised for sails. They also say, that the squirrel seizes 
on a bark or chip to buoy himself up, when he crosses 
rivers. I do not know whether that be so, but I can 
imagine a very good reason for keeping their tails out 
of Avater ; they swim better. Just like the fox, who 
swims and runs poorly when his brush is wet. Many 
of the squirrels got in the rapid water and were carried 
over the falls. 

Buffalo had been burned in 1S13, and in 1S15 they 
had scarcely began to build up that now_flourishing and 
populous city. It was in fact nothing. Look at Buffalo 
now, with its more than fifty thousand inhabitants. 
What a commentary on the favorable workings of our 
political system. What a monument does it present of 
the wisdom and foresight of our canal improvements, 
and how rapidly have former anticipations been more 
than realized. No wonder that Buffalo, and in fact the 
whole of western New York, look to the Erie canal 
as the sheet anchor of their prosperity. 

What would that fine portion of the state be worth, 
without this great thoroughfare ? Its influence has been 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 153 

such, that it has built up and peopled not only that fa- 
voured region, but other states and territories, stretching 
far beyond ; augmenting the value of real estate, ex- 
citing to industry and good husbandry; and is now the 
main artery, through which the great streams of com- 
merce as regularly flow as blood through the human 
system. 

Those western counties have from the beginning, 
been the steady, consistent supporters of our canals ; 
and look with jealousy and displeasure at every move- 
ment or combination to retard their completion. 

Those resigning senators would have done well, to 
have borne in mind that there is this uncontrollable feel- 
ing that has in former times overborne sturdy political 
opponents, and will probably, for the future admonish 
delinquents in reference to their duty. 

A proper regard to the wishes, the views, and inte- 
rests of the people, would have induced those senators 
to refrain from a revolutionary measure ; and themselves 
and their party from an awkward untenable position, 
and disastrous defeat. 

In 1815, Rochester, which now numbers more than 
thirty thousand, was then nearly a wilderness, and was 
only known as a place at Genesee Falls, favourable for 
mills, where Col. Rochester had recently gone to open 
a settlement and begin a village. Even as late as 1824, 
when ray friend, A. M/ Schermerhorn, now member of 
congress went there to reside, scarcely a lot in the city 
was clear of stumps, except where buildings actually 
stood. 

Those fine towns, Bergen, Riga, &c. were then 
nearly in a primeval state. I went with the deputy 
sheriff to one of those towns to collect a debt from a 
man who had ran from Otsego county. He was living 



154 . REMINISCENCES 

two or three miles in the woods, away from his neigh- 
bors; was a bad tempered, ignorant man, and threat- 
ened to shoot me. His wife urged me not to annoy him 
in his angry mood, and she would bring him in the 
morning to see me. I left him, and staid all night three 
miles from him, where he came with her in the morning 
armed still with his musket. After talidng mildly with 
him, and offering to give him time for payment, he se- 
cured the debt, and* we soon became quite good friends. 
He said his gun was loaded with ball and buckshot, and 
to satisfy myself whether it was, I asked him to let me 
discharge it at a blue jay, to which he assented. I 
missed the bird but cut away the limb, as large as my 
finger, on which it was seated, which was satisfactoiy 
evidence that the gun was charged with ball, as he 
averred. 

Wishing to visit my sister, Mrs. Norton, who resided 
in Sheldon, the south part of Genessee county, I went 
from Buffalo through the Indian reservation; where I 
called on Rev. Bacchus Hyde, who for many years had 
been a missionary, and teacher among those people. 
He was a worthy, honest, devoted man, an old acquain- 
tance, and former townsman. I beheve he is still living 
though I have not seen him in thirty-five years. 

Falling in with a travelling companion, who resided 
in Sheldon, and was returning home, we kept together, 
and had a pleasant jide through the woods, and over 
pole bridges. His name is out of my mind, and I have 
seen him but once since, and then in Ohio in lS44or5. 

Our recognizing each other was the result of quite a 
coincidence. We were riding in the stage coach from 
Cleveland to Columbus, and all the passengers, as I 
supposed were strangers to me. Riding along I became 
drowsy and being but partially awake, heard him con- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 155 

■ versing with some of the passengers, and relating an 
incident in connexion with my father, whom he desig- 
nated as " old esquire Beardsley," who used to live 
down in Otsego county. New York. 

The circumstance mentioned I knew to be true, and 
was this : — A chap from Rhode Island, at an early day 
had agreed to marry a young lady from his own state, 
and about as green as himself. They came to my father 
to marry them, and as money was scarce in the country 
and the aspirant for matrimony being short, he very 
frankly stated that he could not pay for the job at pre- 
sent, but would do so when dad returned from Rhode 
Island, who had gone there after money, or he would 
come and dress flax, a day whenever wanted. They 
were soon made husband and wife, and the happy 
pair departed, with many thanks for the kind treat- 
ment. The fellow, true to his word, came and offered 
to work the day, but whether it was accepted or not I 
do not remember, but think not. On hearing this I an- 
nounced myself, which led to our mutual recognition. 
He was a respectable man, of considerable substance, 
and had been a county judge where he resided. 

From Sheldon I went to Batavia, about twenty-six 
miles, the greater part of the way in a violent rain 
storm, and was wet through. Batavia was then noted 
for fever and ague, which afflicted its citizens every 
year, but is now as healthy as any of the fine western 
villages, and as flourishing. 



156 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER IX. 

JPurcJiasc part of Grand Island, — Major Noali and 7iis Jeioisli 
project. — Exploration of the Island, with Alvan Stewart 
and James O' Morse. — A Night on the Island during a 
Thunder Storm. — Laughable Incidents. — Visit Fort 
Erie. — Profound respect to Majesty. — Alvan Stewart and 
General Traits of Character. 

The summer of 1825, I visited the Niagara river a 
second time, having purchased in connection with the 
late James O' Morse and Alvan Stewart, a considerable 
portion of Grand Island in that river, which had been 
recently sold by the state. 

Major Noah by himself and friends, purchased 
largely, with a view of colonizing it with Jews, of 
which the city of Arrarat was to be the seat of govern- 
ment; and to take a distinguished stand among the 
great cities of the earth. The Major was enthusiastic, 
but apparently sincere in his project, and shortly after 
went there and erected a momument to perpetuate the 
important event, acting as high priest for the time being, 
or as a, distinguished rabbi. 

The monument erected has survived him, and is 
still standing, though in a dilapidated condition. We 
were offered a handsome advance on our purchase, and 
on writing to him on the subject, he wrote us by no 
means to sell at present, as he had no doubt of the 
success of his project, which would greatly enhance the 
value of our lands. The letter written by him is still 
among my old papers, relating to that transaction. 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 157 

The offer for our interest in the island was made up to 
about fifty per cent beyond what it cost us; the pay to 
be prompt; and on the whole we concluded it was 
more safe to take the profits, and make a clean business 
of it, than to wait for the coming of the Jews, or even 
Gentiles. 

We sold to the late Rev. Andrew Yates, professor 
in Union College, who seemed to be as visionary as 
Major Noah ; for the professor bought it with a view of 
establishing a high, or select school on the island, where 
his pupils would be uncontaminated with the world ; 
and to make the safeguard the more perfect, he wanted 
the whole island, upwards of seventeen thousand acres, 
and actually authorised us verbally to buy largely for 
him at the advance paid us. He however soon 
changed his mind, countermanded his orders before we 
had purchased for him, established his school at Chit- 
tenango, where he subsequently died ; and his grand 
island property bought of us, went into other hands. 
He probably lived long enough to satisfy himself, that 
to shut young men up, or seclude them from the 
active bustle, and rough and tumble of the world, is 
not calculated to make wise and practical men. If he 
did not learn this, he came far short of that worldly 
wisdom so necessary to stem with success the adverse 
fortunes of life. Before offering our lands for sale we 
were determined to know something of their value, 
and went there in July, 1825, to explore each lot. We 
stopped at Buffalo, on our way to the island, where 
Judge Morse, an excellent travelling companion, got a / 
large jug filled with good port wine, a pail filled with 
bread and butter, boiled ham and tongue, with other 
substantials, which he was to bring to the island the 
next morning. Stewait smd myself, with my oldest 



158 REMINISCENCES 

son, about ten years of age, went to Black Rock, where 
we engaged three Irishmen, to take us to the island in a 
skifF, and to return at night to bring Judge Morse in the 
morning, with his jug of wine and other necessaries. 

I had my rifle with me, so putting a bottle of brandy 
with a small quantity of eatables on board, we pushed 
off, and landing on the upper end of the island, 
examined some of our lots, and finally brought up at 
a log hut, about two and a half miles from the head of 
the Island, on the side next to our shore. The Irishmen 
returned to Black Rock, to bring the Judge in the 
morning. 

The man who owned the hut was Stephen Morse, 
who had worked two seasons for my father, nearly 
thirty years before, and -^hom I had not seen or heard 
of during all that period. On hearing my name he e'n- 
quired me out, and made himself known. He was 
glad to see me, and said he had been rambling about 
the world for several years, having met with rough 
usage and hard fortune ; had been in South America, 
where he had been imprisoned ; which I conjectured 
was not for any of his good deeds. He insisted on our 
staying with him through the night, which we readily 
agreed to, as a thunder shower was rapidly coming from 
the west. He was very poor, and had but little to eat; 
but we made shift for the night, from what we brought 
with us. To provide us with meat for breakfast, 
Morse slaughtered the only pig he had, which was 
about as poor in flesh, as his master was in purse. 

There were none but squatters on the island, all of 
them poor, and living along daily from hand to mouth, 
just as they could catch it. 

The house in which he lived had no floor, and was 
a mere hut, leaked like a riddle, and was so open under 
and between the logs, that when the shower came upon 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 159 

US, several toads, frogs, and lizards crept into it, to 
avoid the rain. The family had what they called a 
spare bed, which Stewart and myself occupied. It was 
supported by boring three holes in one of the logs of the 
house, about as high from the ground as an ordinary 
bedstead. In these holes were driven three sticks that 
came out into the room, as far as the width of the bed. 
These sticks were each supported by a standard under- 
neath, at the outer end, like table legs ; and elm bark 
was interwoven from stick to stick, as a substitute for 
cords, to support the bed. The family bed was equally 
rude, which was given up to my son, and to Morse, the 
lord of the mansion ; the good woman sitting up in her 
chair, and sleeping as well as she could through the 
night. 

My readers shall soon be informed how our worthy 
host spent the night till twelve or one o'clock, when he 
turned into the bed with my son, leaving his wife still 
in the chair. My friend Stewart, at this time was 
quite too much given to his cups, and nothing seemed 
to delight him more, when off on an excursion, where 
he could lay aside restraints and checks of society, 
than to get half seas over ; and then freely indulge in 
all the freaks and frolics, that his exuberant fancy could 
suggest. Respect for his memory, and for his worthy 
family, would restrain me from dwelling on these frail- 
ties, did I not know that after his reformation, and com- 
mendable pledge to total abstinence, he has himself, in 
public addresses, and elsewhere, frequently and unre- 
strainedly dwelt on these, his besetting weaknesses* 
Let me say then, that with the assistance of our Irish 
skiffmen, before they returned, and our host Morse, the 
brandy bottle was soon exhausted, and Stewart having 
become excited, w^as determined to have more. 

What was to be done ? There was not a drop of 



IGO REMINISCENCES 

the creature, on the island ; the niglit was dark and 
stormy, the thunder and lightning had been constant, 
and the rain had fallen fast and hea\y. The wind blew 
with considerable force, and blowing up the river, we 
could distinctly hear the solemn heavy roar of the cat- 
aract, after die rain subsided. In short it was dark and 
gloom}', and a most cheerless night ; we were a mile 
from the New York shore, where there was a grocery on 
the canal to furnish whiske}^ to labourers and boatmen. 
Stewart was determined to have some ; and though ex- 
cessively dark and the river rough, Morse said he had 
a canoe that would carry him safely over ; and on Stew- 
art offering him a dollar to go and get a jug of whiskey, 
which Stewart paid for, INIorse, about ten o'clock, after 
it had stopped raining, got into his canoe and paddled 
over. Another shower came up, which delayed his re- 
turn, for it became so dark, that he could not see objects, 
and landed on the island some distance below his cabin. 
Between twelve and one o'clock he came in, thoroughly 
drenched with rain, and Stewart was delighted to find 
the jug had been filled and safely returned, of which 
we both partook before Morse retired to rest. 

The truth is, that with the rain, thunder and light- 
ning, sending away for the whiskey and a sweltering 
hot July night, with myriads of mosquitoes, there was 
not much sleep for any of us. 

Stewart and mj'self wished to go and look at a lot 
before Judge Morse should arrive, so we wei'e up early 
and found two or three squatting neighbors had made 
their appearance, to learn who the strangers were, who 
were the honored guests of neighbor Morse. They 
took a morning dram, and Stewart announced ourselves 
and business, as the lords of the soil, who had come 
to look after their estate. We all started off before 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 161 

breakfast to look at the lot, but the brush and herbage 
were so wet with rain, that we were as well drenched 
as if we had been in the river. 

On coming back a most laughable scene occurred, 
while we were waitino; for breakfast. A loafer who bore 
the inimitable cognomen of Tichout, was very inquisi- 
'ive ; and being a pettifogger professed considerable 
mowdedge of law and natural rights. 

He had spoken several times, while on our way to 
the lot, in disparaging terms of the quality of the soil ; 
and its value. Stewart, half in jest, reproved him, 
but Tichout, who had got tight, persisted ; and Stewart 
with most imperturable gravity, and apparently half in 
earnest, repeated to him, that the lords of the soil 
were here, and would not submit to abuse. Tichout 
replied, but without much regard to the rights of the 
lords of the soil, and intimated the squatter's right as 
being quite as good as the state could impart. 

Stewart said he would throw him in the river, and 
Tichout invited the trial. Stewart, a large strong man, 
immediately advanced upon him, and pressing him 
down, laid hold of him and dragged him to the river's 
brink, threatening to throw him in. I do not suppose 
he was very much in earnest, but on the whole I thought 
it was time to interpose and become a peace maker. 
They were easily reconciled, and another draft from 
the jug restored peace ; so that they parted on excellent 
terms, highly pleased with each other and with the inte- 
resting incidents of the morning. Judge Morse soon 
came, with the three Irishmen, and then we prepared 
to make our further explorations of the island. The 
weather was excessively hot, and Stewart, always a 
poor walker, had no intention of traversing the island 
on foot. It was finally decided that he should go in the 



162 REMINISCENCES 

skifF, and descend the river to the lower end of the 
island, stopping opposite Tonawanda island, where he 
was to go ashore and examine one of our lots ; the 
Irishmen and my son to go with him, and on reaching 
the foot of the island, were to pass between it and 
Buckhorn island, to the other side next to the Canada 
shore. Judge Morse, though a heavy, fleshy man, was 
a good pedestrian, and he was to go with me across the 
island, zig-zaging from lot to lot, so that we should 
come out at the lower corner, near the Canada shore, 
among the pines, known as the old French burying 
ground. We had a map with the lots, as laid off, and 
I had my pocket compass and rifle. Stephen Morse, 
our host, was to pilot us across, and it was evident that 
with our zig-zag course we should have to travel 
twelve or fifteen miles; so filling the bottle and my 
hunting flask with port wine, and taking a piece of 
bread and meat in our pockets, we started off. The 
jug of wine was put in the skiff, and the remains of the 
whiskey donated to our host, Morse. 

They were directed to hurry along, and get round 
in time to meet us, and all were enjoined not to run 
below " Buckhorn island," as we apprehended it might 
bring them too near the falls. Morse and myself struck 
off through the woods, and then I felt strong misgivings 
for having entrusted my son in the skiff, but it was too 
late to remedy the matter. We had a warm fatigueing 
walk, excessively annoyed by flies and mosquitoes, and 
found but little water on our route. 

A little before sunset we reached the pine grove, 
where the boat was to join us, but it had not got round, 
nor was it in sight. The cataract was a few miles 
belojv; we could hear its roar, and see the heavy column 
of spray ascending, that appeared like a mass of fog 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 1G3 

Standing over the abyss. I fired my rifle to attract at- 
tention in case the boat had got in shore, and was 
concealed ; and felt more anxiety than I expressed ; for 
when we separated, it was conceded that the boat 
}vould arrive some time before we could traverse the 
island. At length we were gratified to see it come 
round the point, and enter the straits between the two 
islands, and passing over towards us. They rowed up 
to a house opposite the upper end of Navy Island, 
where we proposed to stay all night, but were told that 
the family could not keep us. Stewart had landed 
opposite Tonawanda, to look at the lot, but hearing a 
noise that he took to be the buzz of the rattle snake, 
which I suppose was the cry of a locust, he hurried 
down to the boat, and there he and the Irishmen 
loitered along through the day. The man of the house 
where we had stopped, took the two Morses and myself 
across the river to Canada, as the skiff was deemed 
unsafe for the whole. 

It was dark, but we were soon set across, passing a 
little above and in the shadow of Navy Island, after- 
wards distinguished as the head quarters of the 
Canadian patriots, in 1S3S. 

We went to the public house, kept on or near the 
Chippeway battle ground, by a jolly old boniface by 
the name of Yale. His face was red and livid, for he 
kept his " salamander" constantly heated. He was a 
great talker, fancied himself witty, and was a good 
deal of a wag. He and Stewart had a keen encounter 
of wit after supper, and remained a considerable por- 
tion of the night on the stoop or vestibule, where the 
fresh breeze from the river rendered them much more 
comfortable than in the heated rooms of the house. 

The next morning we took the stage as it came up 



164 REMINISCENCES 

from the falls, and left our scarlet faced host, to crack 
his coarse jokes on the next comers. We went to Fort 
Erie, to look at the ruins of that old fortification. 
Stewart had kept in fine trim, just enough excited all 
day to be full of talk and anecdotes, which always 
rendered him witty and companionable. 

No one, when in these sprees, could more attract 
or amuse the masses than Stewart. He was all life, 
wit, and conviviality. On reaching the fort, and after 
surveying the ruins, he w^anted some wine to drink the 
health of the king, under the protection of whose laws 
he had spent so pleasant a night at Yales. A worthy 
loyal Scotchman furnished the beverage, and very 
meekly besought the honor of joining in the toast, which 
of course was assented to. 

Stewart filled his glass, and made a speech, which 
he was always ready to do on such occasions ; and it 
was an excellent one, and was well received by the 
bystanders. He then drank with great gravity and 
apparent sincerity, "Health, long life, and prosperity to 
His Majesty, the King of Great Britain;" to which he 
appended, "and of Tichout," the squatting loafer with 
whom he had the contest on the island. The Scotchman 
not knowing the allusion, took no offence, but brought 
in and filled again, and then responded to the sentiment; 
while Morse and myself kept dark as to who Tichout 
was; but laughed at the conceit of coupling Majesty 
with so base a specimen of humanity, and the Scotch- 
man joining in the sentiment with so much gratification. 

We then passed over to Buffalo, where we remained 
a few days with Rathbun, at the "Eagle." Stewart 
was not ready to wind off'; but took his room, where he 
received his friends, conversed pleasantly with them, 
but managed to keep slightly excited. _ Some three 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 365 

days afterwards, we came down with Judge Morse, to 
Lewiston, who went home ; and Stewart and myself 
went to Fort Niagara, and thence over the river to 
Niagara Village, where I wished to spend the day with 
my friends. Stewart stopped at the public house, 
while I went to find them, telling him I would call and 
see him in the morning. Accordingly I called, and my 
brother-in-law, Doctor Raymond, went with me, and 
invited Stewart to dine with him that afternoon; to 
which he assented. He said he would go to the bar- 
bers and would then join us. As I was about leaving 
him, he called me aside and said very pleasantly, (at 
the same time giving me one of his peculiarly significant 
looks,) " Beardsley, you know we have been on Grand 
Island, away from civilization, for a few days; I know 
what is due to gentlemen ; so don't be alarmed." He soon 
joined us, when we spent the day pleasantly, visited the 
ruins of Fort George, and went through Fort Massisauga. 
We dined at three o'clock, where we met a small 
party, among whom was Hon. B. C. Beardsley, mem- 
ber of the provincial parliament, and his lady. Mr. 
Beardsley was cousin to my father, and was the son of 
Rev. John Beardsley, whom I have already mentioned 
as havmg left New York, and gone to New Brunswick, • 
at the close of the revolution. B. C. Beardsley had 
for a time been king's attorney in Canada, was a 
highly respectable man, and a sound lawyer. He told 
me he had been at Detroit, to attend court, while the 
Enghsh held it, after Hull's surrender ; and that he 
acted as king's attorney at those courts. We remained 
late at table, and drank wine freely, as was the fashion 
in Canada. Stewart was full of anecdote, conversed 
remarkably well, and made a decidedly favorable 
impression on those present. They were all pleased 



166 REMINISCENCES 

with him, as I knew ihey would be ; and have often 
enquired for him since with deep interest. No man 
could have been more gentlemanly, or behaved better 
than he did. 

After dinner we went to Queenston, where, after 
visiting the heights, and looking at Brock's monument, 
we came down upon the wharf, where the Niagara, 
with its whirlpools and counter currents, appears un- 
comm-only grand and imposing. The inspiration was 
too great to be resisted. Stewart commenced a speech, 
which soon drew a crowd about him. He apostrophised 
the river, dwelt upon its magnitude, its beauty, and its 
grandeur; referred to the stirring events connected 
with Queenston battle, the fall of Brock, and the erec- 
tion of the monument, to the memory of that brave and 
accomplished officer. Then, referring to our common 
origin, and the mutual benefits of peaceful relations, 
he exhorted them not to suffer any root of bitterness to 
spring up between us and them. 

The Canadians cheered him, and responded to 
his sentiments. Then, pointing across the river, he 
said, " we were going to a State called New York, one 
of the United States, which he presumed they had 
heard of, and might probably again." He wanted 
them to remember that there was such a country as 
the United States, and such a people as the Yankees, 
who they might know better at a future day. 

Then he remarked, that if they should ever wish 
to change their government, and set up for themselves, 
the citizens of the United States would bid them God 
speed, and very likely yield them more substantial aid. 

All of this was good naturedly received, and no 
offence was given or intended 

While he was in the midst of his speech, my son, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 167 

very much like a boy, got into a skifF that was 
slightly fastened, which in some way got loose, and 
floated off from the dock. He was frightened, and ran 
to the end of the boat nearest the shore, as if he 
intended to jump out, whi(?^i we were fearful he might 
do; for the current was strong, and was moving the 
boat rapidly. We ordered him, in the most peremptory 
manner, to sit down, which he did ; and then the boat 
was soon brought back by another that went in pursuit. 

We crossed over to Lewiston, the Canadians cheer- 
ing us as we pushed oft from the shore — and here our 
adventures must be brought to a close. 

I have spoken somewhat freely of Alvan Stewart ; 
and desire, in justice to his memory, to make a few 
further remarks. My first acquaintance with him was 
in September, 1S12, when he came to Cherry Valley. 
He had graduated in Vermont, and had been keeping 
school in Canada, from whence, on war breaking out, 
he came to Plattsburgh, 'and thence to Schoharie 
count3% where he was arrested as a spy, by some 
" Justice Shallow" or " Dogberry" of that patriotic 
county. An examination was had at one of their country 
taverns, when he was honorably acquitted, and came 
to Cherry Valley. 

We formed an intimate acquaintance, as young men 
of congenial feelings generally do, when brought in con- 
tact with each other. He was frank and social, conversed 
well, and read much, and possessed a most retentive 
memory. In short, he was an agreeable companionable 
man, in whose society I spent many pleasant evenings, 
during the latter part of the year 1812, and the years 13 
and 14. When he came to Cherry Valley he was poor, 
and has often told me he had but a single pistareen on 
his arrival. This he spent for a treat for himself and 



168 REMINISCENCES 

a wagoner, who was going to Richfield, where Stewart 
wanted to go, to visit a relative. The bargain was, 
that after the treat, Stewart was to amuse the teamster 
with stories enough to pay for the ride. After the 
visit, Stewart borrowed a ^dollar from his uncle, to get 
back; and thus he commenced life in Cherry Valley, 
teaching the academy for a living, and reading law 
when not engaged in school. In the course of 1814 
15 he became embarrassed with some patent-right 
speculations ; and in autumn of 1815, went to Ken- 
tucky, via Olean, and down the Allegany on a raft ; 
taught an academy at Paris, Kentucky, where he 
became acquainted with Jesse Bledsoe ; heard Mr. 
Clay make a speech, which he greatly admired ; 
bought a horse ; came back over the mountains ; visited 
Mr. Jefferson, at Monticello ; came on to New York, 
where he was admitted as an attorney. Then to 
Cherry Valley ; paid up his debts; and became a law 
partner of the late Judge Morse. 

Stewart was not a profound lawyer. He had read 
considerable law ; but it was a sort of desultory reading; 
not systematized. But he was a man of strong dis- 
criminating mind, of sound judgment ; took practical 
common sense views of his cases, and succeeded 
remarkably well ; particularly as an advocate before 
a jury. That was his forte. He had a fine flow of 
language, and embellished his subject with figures and 
tropes — not the most classical and appropriate, but 
strong and original ; marked with genius, and sparkhng 
with wit. He was odd in his comrparisons ; and 
alawys kept the jury good-natured, by his sallies of 
wit and his ludicrous illustrations. In short, he was a 
favorite — a successful advocate with jurymen ; and 
succeeded in trying causes much better than many 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 169 

advocates more profound in law learning, but yet 
greatly inferior to him as sound practical men. He 
was successful in the accumulation of property, far 
beyond those whose business was greatly superior to 
his own. The death of two favorite children was a 
terrible blow to him. He lost, in some degree, his fine 
flow of feeling and vivacity of spirit ; became at times 
gloomy; and, I think, never after the death of his 
children, appeared like the same man. He had his 
flashes of wit, which like coruscations, would often 
shoot up and enliven ; but it was not that full flowing 
stream that used to convulse those who heard him at 
the bar, and was wont to " set the table in a roar." 

For many years he was fond of politics, but not a 
successful politician. In that particular he wanted 
stability, and always managed to enlist on the weaker 
and unsuccessful side. He finally became a temperance 
lecturer, pledged to total abstinence. This was a 
wise step, and probably saved him. A man of his 
temperament could not rely on any half-way measures. 
It must be total abstinence, or he was in danger. 
The moment he tasted, it seemed to create an appetite, 
and an inordinate desire to go farther and farther. 

His friends, as well as himself, had great cause to 
rejoice at his resolution to firmly resist temptation. 
He became ultra in his feelings, and embraced the 
cause of northern abolitionism, which he advocated to 
such an extent as greatly to impair his influence and 
usefulness. 

He was, as I thought, altogether wrong on this 
subject ; and it was quite apparent that this was the 
end of his chances for political preferment. 

He has gone to his last account ; having left his 
family with a competency ; (a very handsome estate) 



I7t) REMINISCENCES 

and although we differed in our political views at times, 
and always on the abolition question, yet our friendly 
relations were not interrupted. 

Let him rest in peace. I shall always remember 
our early associations, and contemplate them with a 
melancholy pleasure. 

During the struggle of the Greeks against the 
Turks, Stewart and myself took the lead in getting up 
and sending forward contributions. We went about 
the town, held meetings, and made speeches. The 
Lodge and Chapter at Cherry Valley contributed 
freely ; and among other articles sent, was a box or 
two of rifles, made for that particular service ; each 
of which I tried before boxing them up ; and each, if 
rightly loaded, and accurately held, would bring down 
a man at thirty rods every shot. They were shipped 
to Leghorn, to be forwarded to Greece, with a letter, 
written by me, giving special directions, in reference 
to the use of the American rifle. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 171 



CHAPTER X. 

Visit Chautauque County. — Land PurcJiase. — Several Inci- 
dents. — Mysteriotcs Noise. — Superstitious BelieJ". — 
Dreams and Supernatural Appearances. — Anecdotes of 
Solomon, SouthwicTc. — The hate James O. Morse. — Out- 
lines of Character. 

The excursion to Grand Island has been the subject of 
a long story, in the preceding chapter; but I will make 
amends by studying brevity in the present. Morse, 
Stewart, and myself, went to Chautauque county, the 
autumn of 1827, where we bought upwards of sixty- 
thousand acres of the Holland land company, at one 
dollar (cash) per acre. 

Preparatory to the taking of our deeds, we visited 
almost every town in the county, to determine where 
we would select the land. 

, The deeds were ready the next spring, when we 
paid the money and obtained the title. We divided 
the land into shares, and retaining eight or ten thousand 
acres for each of us, let the residue go to others at cost, 
they paying a small per centage for driving the bargain, 
and selecting the land. The purchase was safe; and 
we made some money out of it ; but it was a long 
winded concern, and required close attention. Had we 
laid out our money in any p9,rt of Buffalo, at the then 
prices, and had not hurried the sales, the astonishing 
growth of that city would have enabled us to realize 
much greater profits, and with far less trouble. In 
short we should have made a very handsome fortune. 



173 REMINISCENCES 

While we were In Chautaugue, in 1S27. exploring with 
a view of selecting our lands, we hired a man to take 
his wagon and go with us for several days. 

It was nearly night, and we were going to the Con- 
newongo Valley, and thence up to Cherry Creek. 
That is, we were going east to the Connewongo, and 
then north up the valley. The roads were rough and 
the riding uncomfortable ; when coming to an old 
Indian trail that led across the hills, through the woods, 
and shortened the distance, I concluded to go on fool. 
They remarked that I must hurry along, or I might be 
caught out in the dark, and have to sleep in the woods. 

I had my rifle with me, and as the weather was not 
very cold, the sleeping in the woods had no peculiar 
terror. Coming down to a branch of clear creek, a 
drove of deer started up, and ran a north-west course 
up the creek, towards the most hilly part of the present 
town of Cherry Creek. The forest was large and in- 
tricate, but I could not resist the temptation to go after 
them, for I saw at least a dozen ; several of which were 
large, well-antlered fellows. Taking their trail, and. 
going slowly and cautiously, I followed on, hoping to 
find a loiterer among them ; but they eluded the pursuit, 
and I saw no more of them. I had followed a good 
distance ; in fact, as far as I thought it safe to go, in 
case I was to get out of the woods that night. Hurry- 
ing along, I rejoined my companions after dark, who 
had got through with their suppers, and booked me as a 
lost man. One night we stopped at a log tavern, at 
what is now known as Panama, several miles westerly 
from Jamestown, where notice was given of a religious 
meeting, which was to be held in the school house, 
icross the road. It was a melhodist meeting, very 
Tiuch like those we used to have among the first 



I 

BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 173 

settlers in Otsego connty. Stewart and myself walked 
over to the meeting, where we heard an itinerant 
preacher, who for want of something more appropriate, 
entertained his enlightened hearers, with common-place 
remarks; told some stories to illustrate his positions; 
and wound up with an exhortation. The greater part 
of his auditors were females ; who in accordance with 
the fashion of all new countries, had to bring their 
children with them. I think eighteen were present, of 
whom fifteen or sixteen had infants, and nursed them 
during the interesting performance of the preacher. 
On one occasion we were examinino; land in the south- 
east part of the county, where we had ascended a high 
hill that divides the waters of the Conne\vono:o and the 
Allegany. One of the company had seen a bear, and 
having my rifle, I was on the look out for him. Pretty 
soon, I saw a black animal climbing a tree, a consider- 
ble distance from me; and looking at him through the 
brush and leaves, he appeared much larger than he 
actually was, so that I magnified him into a bear. 
Running forward and approaching the tree, till within 
fair rifle range, I saw him through the leaves, and 
taking deliberate aim brought down an immensely 
large porcupine ; but bruin was not there. 

At another time we came down from this hill, late in 
the afternoon, to the house of a respectable farmer, 
where we were to stay all night. Three deer had been 
seen in a field near by, and I hurried away to get a shot, 
but they escaped. Coming back near the house, I 
heard in an adjoining thicket, something like the crying 
and moaning of a child. 

The good woman of the house had heard it, and 
was out looking for it, actually believing it to be a child. 
We both listened and searched the thicket, but never 
ascertained what it was. She was sunerstitious, and 



174 REMINISCENCES 

became alarmed. She believed in sights and noises, 
as forerunners of coming events. 

When I went back the next spring, she was in deep 
affliction, having lost a favorite child, in the course of 
the winter; and asked me if I remembered hearing the 
cry the fall before. On my answering in the affirma- 
tive, she said, she had no doubt it was a forerunner of 
the death of her child. I mentioned that I had lost my 
little son the preceding January, and then she was sure 
it was intended as a warning to both of us; for each 
of us had heard it, though Stewart did not, who was 
quite near us. We never ascertained the cause ; and 
it is useless now to speculate. 

Thousands of people in our own and other countries, 
and those too who are well informed, believe in super- 
natural appearances, as well as indications of coming 
events by dreams, noises, or other manifestations. The 
late Solomon Southwick, of Albany, was a remarkable 
instance. He was a well-educated man; of sound 
mind, fine talents, great popularity ; and for many 
years possessed an influence in the state, particularly 
with the democracy, that few could aspire to, and that 
none could surpass. 

More than thirty years ago 1 was attending court 
in Albany, and Mr. Southwick asked me to go with 
him a few miles the next day, where we were to take 
a skill', and fish in the Hudson river. He was to 
have a horse and buggy readv to take us to Van 
Wie's Point. 

I found him with his fishing dress and tackle, his 
pail of eatables and refreshments, ready to start off 
He sent for the horse and buggy, and the livery man 
brought a white horse, which as soon as Southwick 
saw, he started back as if he had seen a ghost. 

He ordered the man to take him back and get 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 175 

another ; declared that he would not ride after him, 
for he knew he would kill him if he did ; and then 
said he saw that horse in a dream the night before ; 
with other things that had so alarmed him, that I do 
not believe he could have been induced under any 
circumstances to ride after him. Another was pro- 
cured, and we rode off; but-he continued to talk much 
of this and other dreams through the day. It seemed 
to have made a vivid impression on his mind. He 
said many dreams indicated nothing ; that they were 
fugitive, and often but the result of impressions the 
mind had dwelt upon before going to sleep, or from a 
derangement of the physical system. He then referred 
to many instances, where the impression was so vivid 
that the dreamer had awakened ; and then, on going 
to sleep, had dreamed the same dream a second and 
third time. *' These," to use his own expressions, 
" are revelations or night visions from Deity ; and 
when they come with all those solemn impressions 
that fix themselves on the mind with a stamp almost 
ineffaceable, they are as sure and true as the throne of 
God." 

He had just been reading those marvellous adven- 
tures of Capt. Riley, who, when he was wrecked 
on the coast of Africa, had so miraculously escaped 
through the breakers, that he ascribed it to a special 
interposition of Providence. Southwick believed all 
this ; and mentioned many similar instances to fortify 
his belief. 

I have been greatly at a loss to determine what 
to believe, in reference to supposed supernatural ap- 
pearances ; as well as manifestations or indications 
of future events by dreams, visions, and other exhi- 
bitions of power and intelligence beyond our com- 



176 REMINISCENCES 

prehension ; call them what you will. There is an 
innate feeling in almost every man, that such things 
may be, though he does not actually believe them. 
On passing a grave-yard at night, in a secluded place, 
it is natural to glance over it, to see if there may not 
be a ghost or other supernatural appearance. 

Almost every one, I apprehend, has had such 
impressions. The belief in witches, demons, ghosts, 
spiritual appearances, dreams, visions, and miraculous 
interpositions, has been as universal as a behef in 
Deity himself; or nearly so. And this belief has not 
been confined to the ignorant and uninformed ; but 
has been adopted generally by the wisest and best 
of men in ancient, and by many in modern times. 
The Bible, both the old and New Testament, fully 
inculcate and sustain the doctrine. It was no uncom- 
mon belief in apostolic times, that " a spirit" had 
appeared, or that " visions" had been seen. Witch- 
craft and demonology were prevalent in those times, 
which to discredit, is to discredit holy writ. Even 
Herod believed " that John the Baptist had risen from 
the dead ;" and the apostles and people at large 
" thought they had seen a spirit." 

If we go to profane history, we find this belief 
just as prevalent ; and supernatural appearances as 
well authenticated as any other historical facts. The 
same author who informs us that there were such men 
as Caesar and Brutus, relates prodigies in reference 
to the former, and that his " evil genius" appeared 
to the latter. 

\11 these things may be the result of ignorance 
and superstition ; or the ready acquiescence of popular 
belief in the marvellous ; and that all have been 
duped, or " left to believe a lie." Polemical writers 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 177 

often refer to the universal belief of mankind in the 
existence of Deity, as an impress or revelation of 
Deity himself, of his own existence ; and why not 
the other. If such things were in olden time, why 
not now ? Some one may say, the age of miracles 
has passed, and with it supernatural events, witchcraft, 
and demonology. But where is the evidence, and 
who has declared it ? I do not intend to assert the 
truth, or even the existence of satisfactory evidence 
of either proposition : but it seems to me, that in 
modern times, we have accounts of extraordinary 
occurrences and appearances, in reference to particular 
men, just as well authenticated as that such men 
existed ; and that cannot be accounted for on any 
known principles short of miraculous or supernaturaL 
Still it is certain, that much superstition pervades 
the human mind now, as well as formerhj ; and, no 
doubt, many things that appear strange and incom- 
prehensible, are the result of self or other deception ; 
or of a superstitious belief, in which the ignorant 
are too prone to indulge. 

Animal magnetism and clairvoyance, have chal- 
lenged the belief of many intelligent men, after 
witnessing exhibitions coming under this class, who 
were unbelievers before. The same may be said of 
dreams, spiritual communications, supernatural appear- 
ances, and miraculous interpositions. With biblical 
authorities and profane history, in reference to ancient 
times; and the many apparently well authenticated 
instances of later years ; he must be a bold man, v/ho 
pronounces the whole (ancient and modern) to be the 
result of imposition, self-deception, jugglery, or vulgar 
superstition, 

Witchcraft was believed in, by the learned and ua- 
12 



178 REMINISCENCES 

learned throughout Europe; and it may be said, was 
not only a common, but an almost universal belief, 
previous to, and even during a portion of the last 
century. It is now a common belief throughout many 
countries on the continent of Europe ; and even in Great 
Britain and Ireland, is far from being eradicated among 
the common people. 

Our ancestors brought that belief with them, when 
they came to this country; and though they have been 
taunted and ridiculed for hanging and burning witches, 
yet they were but carrying out the same principles that 
were believed in and practised upon in England, Scot- 
land, and Ireland, at a much later period. Even as 
late as 1745, laws existed in some of those countries, 
against witchcraft and demonology, and punishments 
were inflicted. 

Chief Justice Holt, and Sir Mathew Hale, were be- 
lievers in witchcraft. Cotton Mather, in our own 
country, was also a believer; and denounced the 
" heUish art." Doctor Johnson, the great moralist in 
later times, was a firm believer in second sight, and 
supernatural appearances; and so, I believe, was Sir 
Walter Scott. 

In our own times. Lord Casllereagh, the celebrated 
English minister, whose melancholy death threw a gloom 
over the nation, told Sir Walter Scott, that he had him- 
self seen a ghost. 

I really do not know what to believe on these sub- 
jects ; but if we are to give credence to the bible 
accounts of witchcraft, demonology, visions, and spirit- 
ual appearances, I do not know upon what authority 
we are to deny them now. 

When I was a boy, about fifteen years old, I had, 
as it appeared to me, a most extraordinary sight, or 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 179 

vision; perhaps the result of a disturbed mind, and 
possibly, but partially, though it seems to me I was 
never more perfectly awake in my life. My brother and 
myself slept together; and before going to bed we had 
been stealthily playing several games of cards, with an 
old pack that we kept concealed. We pla3'^ed "old 
sledge," (high low jack); the first game of cards that 
boys learn to j^lay. I say stealthily, because it was in 
direct violation of the commands of my parents. We 
finally laid the cards aside, and went to sleep. I have 
no doubt my mind reproved me for the transaction ; 
and this mental reproof disturbing me, very likely con- 
tributed to what T am going to relate. 

Falling asleep, I could hear the cards shuffled 
and played, one after the other ; and the counting, 
« high," "low," "jack," and "the game ;" part of the 
time by one, and part b}'- the other. I knew I was not 
playing, but was sure my brother was, and his anta- 
gonist sitting in a chair facing the bed ; and my brother 
on or in the bed, playing with him. I could not only 
hear the cards shuffled and played, and the game 
counted, but looked in my brother's hand, and saw 
the cards he held. Although fifty years ago, the 
impression on my mind, if not on my vision, was 
so strong, that I recollect precisely how his playing 
competitor appeared, and his cast of countenance. 
With a thick-set frame, poorly clad ; a large head ; 
large teeth ; some of them partially, and others entirely 
decayed ; and his head and teeth quite too large 
for any human being I have ever seen. His com- 
plexion was sallow, partaking of a gangrene ; and 
he was surrounded by a dim blue light, just enough 
to enable me to see what was going on. I reached 
my hand to my brother, and found he was lying 



X80 REMINISCENCES 

in bed ; and then enquired what he was doing. The 
moment I spoke, " the charm dissolved apace ;" and 
the figure that I had looked upon with a feeling of 
disma}', moved witliout noise and receded, till it 
finally disappeared at the window. My brother was 
asleep ; and I suppose the whole must have been 
an illusion, which I shall never forget, though I am 
unable to account for, or explain it on philosophical 
principles. I have always supposed it resulted from 
my mind not being at ease ; and that I was but 
partially awake till after I spoke. 

Probably it was in a state similar to that of a 
half crazy man, who conjures up in his imagination, 
things and forms that have no existence in nature. 
All appeared to me natural and real, till 1 spoke ; 
and then, I presume, on opening my eyes, the creations 
of fancy receded and disappeared. 

It was a strange freak, that perhaps may be ex- 
plained by some principle of physiology or psychology, 
or by physicians who are familiar with the operations 
of the mind. But I have never been able to solve 
it satisfactorily, except by regarding myself as having 
been partially asleep till I spoke, (though T fancied 
myself perfectly awake) and that when I did speak, 
the vision disappeared. While in a partial sleep, I 
must have seen with the " mind's eye," objects that 
were invisible to the natural eye ; and probably the 
whole was the creation of fancy — a mere illusion of 
the mind. 

I have introduced the late James O. Morse, of 
Cherry Valley, in this and the previous chapter, as 
having been associated with me in several landed 
transactions, as well as other matters of business. 
Our acquaintance commenced at an early day, while 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 181 

we were law students, in 1810. He was a man of 
untiring industry, great energy of character, and ex- 
cellent judgment. He was a graduate at Union 
college, where he acquired a highly respectable stand- 
ing. Not a fluent speaker, but well read in his pro- 
fession ; a ready, forcible writer, a good classical 
scholar, and of extensive general reading. 

In addition to these qualifications, he was eminently 
practical, and conservative in his views. He was dis- 
tinguished for his liberality ; and few men of his means, 
contributed more freely to public objects ; such as the 
support of the gospel, religious and charitable institu- 
tions academies, colleges, and literary purposes gen- 
erally. He had an extensive acquaintance, and for 
many j^ears his hospitable mansion was open to 
respectable sojourners, who visited the village. 

He wrote much for newspapers and periodicals; 
and left many unpublished manuscripts that would do 
credit to his memory. 

I used to marvel how he could write so much, and 
yet keep up an extensive correspondence ; at the same 
time transact his office business, which was large and 
respectable, while he always had so much time for con-, 
versation ; which as he conversed well, was entertaining 
and instructive. He read a large proportion of the 
periodicals of the day, with a great variety of other 
matter, besides law reports and professional books 
generally. He was appointed first judge of Otsego 
county, and discharged the duties of his office with 
fidelity, good sense, and dispatch, to the general satis- 
faction of the community; yet, with this accumulation 
of business, he found much leisure for study and con- 
versation. 

In many particulars he was a remarkable man. 



182 , REMINISCENCES 

Kind and benevolent, the poor of his neighborhood lost 
by his death, one of their best friends. 

I think Judge Morse, take him all in all, was one of 
the most able men we had in the dounty; and in many 
respects he had but few superiors in the state. By this 
I do not mean, that he was a distinguished advocate, 
though in that respect he spoke well, and always with 
good sense; but he was a ready writer, had a remark- 
ably accurate knowledge of men, and was an excellent 
discriminator of character. It will, I fear, be many 
years before Cherry Valley, or the county of Otsego, 
can boast of a superior. 

Having very little paternal assistance, he was in a 
great measure, the artificer of his own fortune ; yet he 
lived well, reared his family respectably, and left them 
a snug estate, on his decease. At the time of his 
melancholy death, (the autumn of 1837,) we were 
associated in some large landed operations, in which our 
interests were so blended, that it seemed to throw a 
double burthen upon me, which I hardly knew how 
to bear. His death was sudden, and to me altogether 
unexpected, for I was in the city of New York; and 
the news of his illness was soon succeeded by the as- 
tounding information of his death, which I could hardly 
realize. We had at different times many pecuniary 
transactions, often amounting to several thousand dol- 
lars ; sometimes resting merely in parol ; and at other 
times evidenced only by slight memorandums; in the 
adjustment of which we never had the least difaculty. 
I had full confidence in his integrity, and believe he 
had in mine, of which he gave conclusive evidence, in 
making me by his will, one of the trustees of his 
estate. 

Such men are a great loss at any time; and few 



/ 

BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 1S3 

men have died in Otsego county, whose death was a 
greater calamity to the community, than was that of 
James O. Morse; while to his family it was irrepa- 
rable. 



184 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XL 

Incidents in Justice's Courts. — Encounter with a Pettifogger. — 
Justice insulted for not appreciating public sentiment. — 
Dutch Justice commits for contempt. — Charge of Witch- 
craft and threatened Lawsuits. — Favorable influence of 
common Schools. — Early Jury Trial. — Hunting and 
Shooting Anecdotes. — An old foxhunter confounds re- 
ligious ^'■tracts''' with " tracks'' of the fox. — An interesting 
hnock-down on special request. — Other anecdotes and 
incidents. 

It may be amusing to my readers, if I throw together 
several trifling incidents illustrative of the times, which 
I will do in a separate chapter, instead of intermixing 
them with other matters. 

I will first relate an occurrence that took place 
in ISll, in a neighboring town, while I was reading 
law, which will give an insight into the proceedings 
in Justice's Courts in the back country. 

I had agreed to go ten or twelve miles, to prosecute 
a trifling suit, and was to be opposed by a noted 
pettifogger, who, although ignorant, and without charac- 
ter, had acquired such an influence over the justices 
and jurors of his neighborhood, that he generally 
gained his causes, whether "right or wrong." 

He was dirty, ragged, and slovenly in his appear- 
ance, and was known as " the black sloven." I had 
never met him in court ; but had been informed b}'- 
those who had, that he was not only personally abusive 
in speech, but with joung men, would swagger, brow- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 185 

beat, and threaten to flog them ; though an arrant 
coward if manfully "withstood. 

On appearing before the justice, issue was joined, 
and a jury called for; the summoning of whom among 
the hills would take all the afternoon, which would 
require the trial to be had in the night. This was 
precisely what the witnesses and jurors expected and 
desired ; for it would afford an excuse for wasting 
the night in fun and frolic, if nothing else. 

The jury were finally empanelled and sworn ; and 
his honor, who had a distillery hard by, took his seat 
by a long table, a little after dark, the jury silting 
near him. It was fashionable then, to treat the court 
and jury as the trial proceeded ; and a party who 
should be so wanting in good sense or generosity, as 
to forget or refuse to enlighten the minds of the jury, 
bj'- a good substantial drink, before the constable 
was sworn "to keep them together without meat or 
drink," would be very likely to lose his cause. 

In the present case, both parlies were determined 
to "conciliate" the justice and jury ; so they sent to the 
distillery for whiskey, and clubbed together to pay 
for it. They took a drink all round, and the bottle 
was placed on the table, to be used as the trial pro- 
gressed, whenever it should be necessary to solve 
an intricate question. 

My antagonist and myself were standing on oppo- 
site sides of the table ; and, as the trial proceeded, 
he began his objections to certain testimony, and called 
on me to produce law, to show that it could be legally 
introduced. As I was twelve miles from home, and 
in the woods too, he was ver}^ sure that I had no law 
books with me ; and on my asserting our right to 
introduce the lestimony, he became very rude and 



1S6 REMINISCENCES 

insulting ; and said il was a common thing for j'Oung 
men who were upstarts, to come out among honest 
farmers, to deceive and mislead them. Then he 
remarked that they " wanted none of my butterfly 
stuff"; and unless I kept a civil tongue in my head, 
he would slap my face." This was about as I had 
been told he would ti'eat me, so that I was not taken 
by surprise. 

As soon as he said he would slap my face, I 
reached across the table, seized him by the shoulder, 
and with a good smart jerk, pulled him on to it, so 
that he lay across it, where, with one hand I held 
him. The court and jury got up, and peace and 
quiet was soon restored. As we were about resuming 
the trial, he called me one side, and in a very friendly, 
good-natured manner, asked me if I "was a mason ?" 
My answer was not very masonic ; for it was in 
Yankee style — by asking him a question — " what if 
I am ?" He then said, in an under tone — " I have 
been found worthy of a place in that ancient and 
tionorable order, and have understood that you belong 
to it. You are under the tongue of good report, and 
I have a high opinion of your character." He con- 
tinued — "You must not notice these little altercations. 
If we did not have them, these fellows would think 
we did not earn our money ; but among gentlemen 
they are overlooked, of course ;" laying special stress 
on the word " gentlemen," as if by possibility it could 
apply to himself. He then told me to go on with the 
trial, and we should have no difficulty — that he had 
no doubt my client was in the right, but his own was 
a stubborn unreasonable fellow, and he must make 
the best defence for him he could. 

The further proceedings were very amicable. He 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 187 

behaved well, and treated me with civility ; and, 
towards morning, the jury rendered a satisfactory 
verdict for my client. The court, jury, witnesses, and 
attendants, seemed well gratified with the night's 
performance, as the whiskey jug had been kept re- 
plenished, and they had been treated to the altercation 
and collision between the counsel ; which seemed to 
delight them as much as the copious drafts, and in- 
spiration derived from the jug of whiskey. Nor were 
they displeased that the old greasy pettifogger had the 
worst of it ; and I am quite sure he was not, as it 
seemed to make him my fast and devoted friend, 
which for several j'-ears he manifested by sending me 
many clients. I did not hurt him, nor did I intend 
to ; but felt quite sure I could frighten him, though 
he was much larger and heavier than I was ; and in 
this respect I succeeded to admiration. 

At last he was indicted for some small alleged 
offence — nothing less or more than perjury ; and em- 
ployed me to defend him. Before the indictment was 
ready for trial, he concluded to give " leg bail," and 
show " a light pair of heels ;" and this was the last 
I ever saw or heard of my former competitor, and 
subsequent client : and thus end my recollections of 
the " black sloven." 

Many of those country trials were rich with adven- 
tures and laughable incidents. To see them in per- 
fection, you must go back to the early settlements, 
in the remote towns. 

I recollect on one occasion the justice had been 
holding court at night, where the cause was tried by a 
jury. A crowd of course assembled, and as usual, 
took sides with the parties, some on one side, some on 
the other; but in this instance, were nearly unanimous 



188 REMINISCENCES 

for one of the parlies, and in opposition to the justice; 
who, they thought favored the wrong party. To 
avenge themselves on him, and to bring him and his 
judicial authority into contempt, after the trial was over, 
and the bystanders had partaken freely at the bar of 
the country tavern, they gathered round "his honor," 
and commenced urinating on him, from every direction. 
He set up an outcry and escaped from the crowd, but 
brought actions of assault and battery against the per- 
petrators, which in due time the defendants settled, by 
paying costs and making suitable amends to the 
distinguished jurist. There was something ridiculous 
in the idea of bringing actions of assault and battery 
for such a transaction. That action is always predi- 
cated upon what the law terms "a trespass, with force 
and arms;" and although the jlowing, if not Uushing 
honors, were bestowed lavishly on his honor, the justice; 
yet it was not pretended that there was a great degree 
oi force. Technically it might have been " a trespass 
vi et armis,''^ though certainly not ^'pvgnis et calcihus,''^ 
but I suppose the injury to the justice was as repulsive 
to his feelings, and quite as offensive, as if he had been 
sorely beaten, instead of thus saluted and insulted. 
Hence, I suppose, that gentleman "learned in the law," 
would have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion 
that the actions were well brought, and were sustain- 
able on principle. 

A Dutch justice came to me once for counsel, who 
had been sued in an action of assault and battery, and 
false imprisonment, by one whom he had sent to jail for 
contempt. To make his incarceration certain, the 
justice had given the constable strict injunctions to bind 
him, and had assisted in tying his legs, after he was 
placed on horseback. The culprit had fallen from the 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 189 

horse, either intentionally or accidentally, and his feet 
being tied under the horses belly, he was dragged a 
short distance on the ground. His honor said it was 
only a device to try to enhance the damages ; and went 
on to state the circumstances that led to the commit- 
ment. 

He was delighted with having gotten the fellow in 
Johnstown jail; and on my enquiring into the offence, 
that constituted the contempt, and the substance of 
what he had set out in the warrant, or mitimus for the 
commitment, he said he did not recollect the whole of it, 
but he had ordered him *' committed till discharged by 
due course of law ;" that he had the jailor's acknow- 
ledgment of his reception; "and the d d rascal 

might find out himself what that due course of law 
was." 

Another Dutch justice, once came to me to consult 
about the defence of a suit with which he had been 
threatened, for calling the wife of one his neighbors a 
witch, and charging her with looking with an evil eye 
at his cows, and bewitching them. He admitted 
that he made the charge, and believed it true ; but I 
told him it was hardly worth while to get into a law 
suit about such a matter, and subject himself to the ex- 
pense of litigation; that I knew the woman, and 
whether witch or not witch, I had no doubt that matters 
could be amicably adjusted, when I saw her, which I 
would and did do soon; and by talking with her and 
her husband kindly ; neighborly relations were soon 
restored. It will hardly be believed, that so recently 
such things were so thoroughly believed in, and pro- 
bably would have produced a law suit and bitter 
quarrel had it not been adjusted. 
• Such a law suit would have been rich in its dis- 



190 REMINISCENCES 

closures ; and I have sometimes almost reproved 
myself for acting as a peace-maker, and not letting it 
go to court. 

Tiie settlement, however, saved good, honest, 
industrious people from angry litigation and expense; 
■ and on the whole, was the best though not the most 
profitable course for me. 

I shall hardly be believed, when I state that within 
seven miles of Cherry Valley, is a valuable farm, 
from which two acres of the best land was carved out, 
and conveyed, to settle a claim, for having charged a 
woman with witchcraft; and that by her witcheries she 
had destroyed his property. She accepted the two 
acres, and still holds it, under this witch consideration 
for the title, having hitherto refused to sell it back at any 
price, though the original owner was desirous to re- 
purchase, and offered a high price for it. 

In the same neighborhood lived a man who was a 
seventh son, and has been sent for hundreds of 
times, to charm awaj', or take off the witch spell, from 
those afflicted by the "hellish arts," as Cotton Mather, 
and other old writers used to designate them, when 
speaking of witchcraft. 

Within sixteen years, there were portions of country 
in several counties, where very few of the Dutch 
population could speak a word of English, so that a 
drover who did not understand Dutch, and wanted to 
go among them to purchase cattle, had to take an in- 
terpreter with him. 

The common schools, however, have changed this 
state of things; and now, scarcely a neighborhood can 
be found, where the English language is not understood 
and generally spoken ; particularly by the yourvger 
classes. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 191 

One more story. — At a very early day, a Dutch 
magistrate, who was the father of one I have previously 
alluded to, had issued a warrant against a lawless 
neighbour, who had been brought by the constable, to 
answer the plaintiff's action. The justice went to a 
country tavern to hold his court in the bar-room, which 
was the only room in the house large enough for 
the court, jur}'', and attendants, and was not far 
from the line of the county. The defendant was a 
noted fighter, a hard drinker, and very much of an 
outlaw. He had amused himself, while the jury were 
being summoned, with drinking, and playing with an 
old dirty pack of cards on one end of the bar-room 
table. The jury being in attendance, the justice called 
the parties, and had the warrant returned, and then 
directed the plaintiff to state the nature of his demand ; 
which being done, he with great humility, and in 
broken English, asked the defendant, who we will call 
Mr. C. "Well, Mr. C, what do j^ou say to dat?" 
"What do I say to that?" says the defendant; "I say 

that you are a d d old fool." "Oh! tut, tut," says 

the justice, " dat may very well be, Mr. C, but what 
has dat to do with this case?" At this stage of the 
proceedings, the defendant knocked down the constable, 
threw the cards in the justice face, kicked over the 
table, and cleared out for the adjoining county, where 
for a long time he concealed himself, or eluded those 
who wanted to take him. 

As I am on story telling, I will relate one of a Yan- 
kee justice, who used to hunt fo:ses with me, and was 
passionately fond of the sport. The transaction took 
place at the same tavern, where the constable was 
knocked down. The old man had been with several 
companions on a fox hunt, who always delighted in 



192 REMINISCENCES 

playing off iheir tricks; so coming to the tavern, they 
called for rerreshn:ients. The landlady had a large 
flock of geese, and while she was getting dinner, one 
of the parly got sonie corn, and scattering it in a row, 
called the geese, who soon huddled along to pick up the 
corn. Two of the party then discharged their pieces 
from the tavern door, as if shooting at the geese, but 
intending to shoot over them. The justice prided him- 
self on being a good shot, and having taken two or 
three drinks while waiting for dinner, was in excellent 
condition to show off his skill to the best advantage. 
He believed his companions had fired at the geese, but 
for want of skill had missed them. Stepping along to 
the door with his long fox gun in his hand, he said, 
*' stand away and let me try; I'll be bound I'll pepper 
them," and so he did, for he knocked down nearly a 
dozen, which he had to pay for. This old man used 
10 attend our annual fox hunts. I hunted with him 
after he was eighty years old; and though very much 
affected with an almost shaking palsy, he managed to 
shoot a fox, though he could not for his life hold his gun 
steady. 

Preparatory to one of those annual fox hunts, 
another old man, who for many years joined in those 
sports, came to my office, having travelled seven miles 
across the hills, a large part of the way through the 
woods, to satisfy himself whether we were likely to 
have a good time of it, from the foxes being plenty. 
He assured me that their tracks indicated them in great 
abundance, and he anticipated rare sport. While 
sitting there and conversing earnestly about fox hunting, 
a "scant of grace" preacher came in, with his pockets 
filled with tracts, by the distribution of which he seemed 
desirous to make up for other delinquencies. He offered 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 193 

some of ihem to the old fox hunter, and began to ex- 
patiate on their importance. The old man never read 
a word, for he did not know " B from a bull's foot," 
nor had he ever heard of a tract; the nearest that he 
comprehended the meaning of the divine, was, that it 
related to fox tracks, of which he had been conversing. 

He declined receiving them, and then was told by 
the minister, thatthey were tracts to be read. Old Nimrod 
said " we do not read at our house, we think ;" and 
then addressing himself to me, repeated "tracks! why 
Mr. Beardsley, I never saw tracks half so plenty; the 

d d curses have been running all over the hills, and 

we shall have plenty of them on Tuesday." On my 
telling him what the tracts were, and advising him to 
take them home for his daughter, w^ho would read them, 
he put them in his pocket and took them with him ; but 
remarked to me, after the clergyman had gone out, that 
he was always suspicious of those black-coated gentle- 
men, and wanted nothing of them. However unreason- 
able his prejudices were, he was probably not much 
out of the way, in reference to the one who had offered 
the tracts; for, unless he was awfully belied, his subse- 
quent conduct, to all human appearances, showed him 
as far from a state of grace, as was the old fox hunter 
himself. 

At one of those fox hunts, which usually came off 
the day before Christmas, unless it was on Sunday, I 
witnessed in the evening a most laughable transaction. 

If it could be described as Fielding used to describe 
his hunting scenes, it would be inimitable. 

^Ve had a noisy swaggering fellow who drove us 

to head quarters for the hunting excursion, who remained 

through the day at the tavern, instead of going to the 

woods and joining the hunt. For swaggering he was 

13 



194 KEMTNISCENCES , 

nearly equal to " Pistol," and with but little more 
courage. He had the reputation of being a most 
arrant coward, when among his equals ; but was 
overbearino: and insolent with those he thouoht he 
could master ; and hence, when he wrangled, as he 
often did on such occasions, he would strut and bellow, 
and make great pretensions to courage. During the 
day he had " got tight," and at night fastened a 
quarrel on a young man, who he professed to be 
desirous to flog. Our swaggerer always excused him- 
self from commencing a " set to," by saying his 
adversary would "take the law of him, and sue him 
for assault and battery ;" and this he did on the 
present occasion. 

The J^oung man was a stranger to him ; but that 
did not abate his desire to have^ a row with him, 
particularly when he discovered a disposition on the 
part of the youngster to avoid a contest. Bully finally 
told him that he would " lick him like a sack," if 
it was not for the law ; and wound off by taking out 
a quarter of a dollar, which he said he would give 
youngster if he would strike him. 

The money was eyed for some time, and the 
offerer was asked if he really was in earnest ; to 
which he replied that he was ; for ihen^ acting in 
self-defence after the first blow, he would lick him 
without fear of the law. The young fellow told him^ 
he felt very much disposed to take the quarter, and 
give him the consideration for it ; and was again 
invited to do so. Finally, after conversing back and 
forth, and throwing the old fellow partly off of his 
guard, he seized the piece of money; at the same 
time planting a " smasher," partly on his "nob" and 
between his " peepers ;" which, while it started the 



BY LEVI BEAKDSLEY. 195 

"claret" from the nasal oro^an, brouirht star-lio-ht to 
his half-obscured vision ; and disturbing his perpen- 
dicular, laid him sprawling on the floor. 

The youngster ran out of the house, and was 
not seen there again. The performance was greeted 
with loud shouts of approval. Old " blow-hard" got 
up ; and looking round with amazement, enquired 
"where he was?" and after he found his man was 
gone, went on to describe how he would maul him, 
Avere he there ; or if he could ever come across him. 
He finally went home, feeling no doubt much the 
better inwardly, for having blown off so much of his 
gas; but on his frontlet he carried, the mark of his 
adversary for several days, who he never had the 
pleasure of recognizing afterwards. 

As I am in the vein for story- telling, bear with 
me, gentle reader, while I relate an incident that took 
place at an early day. 

The old fox-hunter, who never knew any thing 
about "tracts," except fox "tracks," was a strict 
observer of every thing that looked like cunning and 
device. No man knew the habits of the fox and 
deer, and in short all animals with which he was 
familiar, better than he. Anything that looked like 
a curious ingenious device, always attracted his atten- 
tion. He had a brother, who, growing dissatisfied with 
the world, concluded to make a short job of it, and 
rid himself of life, with all the cares and vicissitudes 
that " flesh is heir to." 

One day he was missing ; and, after a protracted 
search, was found in the woods, dangling from the 
top of a small sapling. It appeared that he had got 
on a log a considerable distance from the ground ; 
and after chmbing a small tree, had bent its lop-most 



19G REMINISCENCES 

branches down to the log where he stood. Having 
lied a rope, or bark, or withe, round the small tree, 
as it was bent down, he fastened it round his neck, 
and then let the tree spring back to its natural position, 
which took up the man with a jerk that soon strangled 
him. When the old fox-hunter came to the tree, 
and looked at his brother, who was still suspended 
by the neck in the top, he could not but admire the 
skill and sagacity of the device. Looking at the dead 
man, and then at the log from which he had swung, 
he broke out with this expression — "Look, how in- 
genious the crittur was !" 

The last adventure that I had with him, was on 
the steep side hill west of Cherry Valley, in plain 
sight of the village, just above the residence of the 
late Judge White, where my friend Jacob Livingston 
now resides. 

We had been out fox hunting ; and the dogs had 
driven a fox into his burrow in that steep side hill. 
We sent to the village for working tools ; and my 
old and esteemed associate, James Brackett, being 
informed of what was going on, soon came to us, 
bringing a bottle of brandy, which was most acceptable 
after the long chase through the snow, over the Middle- 
field hills. We went to work in good earnest, and 
soon excavated a deep pit, which ran into the hill. 

We had five dogs ; but it was necessary to tie 
up four of them, while one was allowed to dig and 
follow the hole of the fox. Those that were tied 
up were almost frantic, and kept up a constant outcry 
while the work was going on. One of our party 
had to be with the dogs, to keep them as quiet as 
possible, aud prevent their breaking away. My old 
friend Bennet, (for that was his name) had got down 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 197 

into the hole that was dug, and by breaking away 
the earth round the fox-hole, a small hound was able 
to crowd himself so far in, that the fox advanced 
and took him by the muzzle. The dog was game ; 
but as he could not get hold of the fox, all he had 
to do was to whine, and " grin and bear it," while 
reynard had him by the nose. Bennett swore tre- 
mendously when he found the fox was punishing his 
dog ; and told the company to loose my old dog 
Primo, that he might take the place of the small 
hound. Primo was good spunk, and rushed in as 
far as he could, digging and working hin:)self in, till 
re3mard greeted him, by taking him firmly by his 
nasal organ, and holding on with a most tenacious 
gripe. Primo whined, and tried to get hold of the 
fox ; but reynard just held him by the nose, and 
thus punished him for his intrusion. Bennett broke 
aw^ay the ground, to make more room for the dog, 
and then ordered the small dog to be brought forward, 
"who crowded in by the side of Primo ; and Bennett, 
by taking Primo by his hind legs, dragged him back ; 
and the fox still holding him by his muzzle, was so 
far brought forward, that the small dog seized the 
fox by his face. The two dogs were then pulled 
out by main force, bringing, the fox with them ; and 
Bennett, to save the fox from being torn in pieces, 
got him away from the dogs. 

On getting out of the hole where he and the dogs 
had been digging, he intended to kill the fox, by striking 
his head against a tree ; but the dogs were as eager to 
share in the death, as he was to prevent it. The hill 
was steep, and the leaves being covered with snow, 
rendered it slippery. While he was preparing to kill 
the fox, the dogs that had helped pull him out were 



198 REMINISCENCES 

constantly striving to get hold of him, and were jumping 
up to get him away from Bennett. He held him as high as 
he could to keep him away from the dogs, when one 
of the company wishing to see all thp sport that could 
b^ got out of such an affair, let slip the other three dogs, 
who rushed down with tremenduous yells to share In 
the conflict. All five leaped upon Bennett, determined 
to have the fox, and by jerking and scuffling soon got 
him down as he slipped on the side hilL Part of the 
lime he was under, and the dogs on top, and at other 
times he had some of them under him ; but he held 
on to the fox most manfully, while he was dragged 
several rods down the hill. They were jerking him by 
his clothes, and striving for the possession of the prize, 
at the same time keeping up the most discordant yells, 
which were interrupted occasionally with horrid oaths 
and Imprecations, uttered by Bennett with stentorian 
powder. The swearing of the army in Flanders, was 
no comparison with It. I do not suppose there has 
been a rough and tumble conflict between man and 
dogs that would. surpass It, since the memorable occur- 
ence between Parson Adams and the pack of hounds, 
so inimitably described by Fielding, in his " Joseph 
Andrews." We finally interfered and beat off the 
dogs, and the old man after despatching reynard 
secundem artem, went with us to the viflage, where we 
gave him a good warm supper, and night's lodging, 
with plenty of good cheer. 

He amused us through the evening with his stories, 
and took the fox skin in the morning, which we all con- 
cluded belonged to him. 

This was our last frolic with Bennett ; for, desiring 
to remove where he could enjoy in a greater degree 
the pleasures and excitements of frontier life, he went 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEy. 199 

to the forests of Michigan, where a fever of the country 
soon terminated his eventful life. 

Before his removal he often complained that the 
encroachments of society had nearly destroyed the 
pleasures of life; and he never expected to live so 
happily again, as he had on the banks of Otsego Lake, 
before settlers intruded. Deer were then plenty, and 
the old man always regretted that the country should 
not have remained in its primeval state. 



200 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XII. 

Exemption of Homestead and Ilouselwld effects. — Professional 
incidents. — Admitted to practice in Chancery. — Anecdotes 
of Chancellor Kent. — Judge Spencer. — Judge Story. — 
Excursion to Boston, Providence, ^r. — Interesting case 
of JIaheas Corjnis. — Elisha Williams and Rhode Island 
Bar. — Presidential Election in 1824. — Last intcrvieiv 
with Gov. Tompkins. — Celebration on completion of 
Erie Canal. — Gov. Clinton visits Otsego, and incidents. 

After my admission to the bar, in 1812, I devoted 
myself to my profession with much assiduity ; worked 
hard, lived prudently, but respectably, and saved from 
my earnings as much as possible. Everything went 
on favourabl3^ I made money slowly, took good care 
of it, made good bargains, was ready night and day 
to serve my clients ; and in this way, secured business 
from many mercantile firms in the cities., who had 
debts to collect in the country. 

I do not recollect ever selling the household furniture 
of a debtor, where the debt was due to me personally ; 
but in many instances where I was acting as attorney 
for others, sales have been made that gave me pain. 
So also in relation to imprisoning debtors. It was 
not my business to interpose where clients were con- 
cerned : but the going into the house, and selling the 
furniture necessary for family comforts, always ap- 
peared wrong, though justified by law. 

Let us look at it for a moment. Those sales never 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 201 

amounted to much. The household furniture of almost 
any family, costs considerable at the commencement ; 
but when you come to sell, it goes as second-hand 
property, and brings but little. The sale depresses 
the debtor — mortifies and distresses the family ; while 
the creditor gets but little from it. The homestead 
and furniture of every family, in my judgment, should 
be ^exempt from seizures. The state has an interest 
in the welfare of each individual ; and should not 
suffer the house or furniture to be sold, and thus 
turn the family upon the charities of the world, helpless 
and dependent. I hope to see laws that shall entirely 
exclude sheriffs, constables, &c. from the interior of 
every dwelling-house. Let this be understood ; and 
creditors will look to the character and integrity of 
the debtor, instead of looking to his homestead, where 
the quiet of the family should be protected, without 
coercion, which too often operates on the sympathies 
of friends. 

In the course of my practice as attorney and coun- 
sel, very many incidents occurred, which, if related 
as anecdotes and reminiscences, might be interesting ; 
but I should fear a general recital would too much 
enlarge my narrative. I must, however, relate a few 
of them. 

On one occasion, I prosecuted a suit in the Otsego 
common pleas, to recover a note, where the defence 
was usury. The late Isaac Seelye was counsel for 
the defendant ; and, having by evidence made out 
a strong case, he urged the defence with zeal and 
much ability. Judge White presided, and it was 
quite apparent he was against my client. His honor 
the judge, although a money-lender, did not exact 
usury ; but, on the contrary, despised those who did. 



202 REMINISCENCES 

All of ibis I knew, and expected a decided charge 
from him against the note, which my chent had bought 
honestly, but which, if the defendant's evidence was 
to be believed, was tainted with usury, and void. 

T summed up the cause to the jury, better I think 
than any cause I ever argued; and, dwelling on the 
hardship of the case, to allow a man to make a note, 
and send it out to the community with the guarantee 
of his own name, thereby entrapping and defrauding 
innocent purchasers, should not be excused from pay- 
ment, except on the most conclusive evidence. 

The jury finally gave me a verdict, notwithstanding 
a direct charge from the court ; and Judge White 
often complimented me, for winning that cause against 
" law and evidence," as he expressed it, and in oppo- 
sition to that charge. The evidence, however, was 
not all on one side, but was such that the jury might 
honestly differ, and having found in my favor, the 
court would not interfere with the verdict. 

My first appearance in chancery had some amusing 
incidents. I was in Albany very near the time Chan- 
cellor Kent had published his rules of practice. I was 
entitled to an examination as solicitor, but had never 
read a book on chancery practice, and but barely 
glanced over his rules. 

Knowing the chancellor to be talkative, kind, and 
good-natured, I called on him at chambers, and ex- 
hibited my Supreme Court license, told him I thought 
of applying for one in his court. He remarked that he 
was very glad of it, and asked me what books in chan- 
cery I had read. " Not any," was my reply, but I have 
to-day bought your new rules, and am going to 
read them. "Well," says he, "you are a good- 
looking man, and are taller than I am ; I know your 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 203 

brother Sam personally, and you by reputation. Your 
father and I were born in the same neighborhood, and 
were nearly of the same age. Go to my brother Moss, 
who is register of my court, and ask him to come here 
and bring the rolls. You know Moss, don't you? 
He is a clever man, used to live in Otsego, and was 
called the ' honest lawer ;' bring him, and I will admit 
you. You must pay Moss the fees for admission, for he 
likes the fees ; and you must read my rules. If you 
come into court without understanding them, or with a 
weak cause, your client will have to pay for it." In 
this way he ran on for some time, and told me his 
dining hour, which he said was early, and was regarded 
unfashionable; described a journey he had made with 
Mrs. K. ; and another he intended to make. I think he 
said he had met Denny, a distinguished writer, and 
mentioned some anecdotes and adventures with him. 
Denny resided at Pittsburgh, and for a time edited a 
periodical, " the Portfolio." 

His brother came ; I subscribed the roll, took the 
oath, obtained my license, and was thus legally quali- 
fied to practice in the high court of chancery. 

My first suit in that court, was to restrain certain 
defendants from trespassing on lands, cutting down and 
carrying off timber, and thus working an irreparable 
injury to the estate of my client. 

" Eden on Injunction," a standard English work had 
just been published ; and on drawing the bill, setting 
out the grievances of my client, I felt sure it was a case 
of equity jurisdiction, where we were entitled to relief. 

I despatched my client to Albany with the bill, and 
synopsis of its contents, for the chancellor, and asked 
for an injunction. Without much reflection, I suppose; 
and under an impression that a suit at laW would be 



204 REMINISCENCES 

sufficient, he refused it. My client, a good, honest 
Dutchman, told him that Squire Beardsley said he was 
entitled to it. The chancellor replied, that he thought 
he was as good a lawyer as Squire Beardsley, and if 
he did not think so, he must come to Albany and see 
to it himself. A few days afterwards I went there, 
and called on die chancellor. " Well," says he, " I am 
glad to see you. A client of yours, a very worthy 
Dutchman, came here the other day and wanted an in- 
junction. He said you told him he was entitled to it. 
I thought not ; and told him I was as good a lawyer as 
you are. These injunctions are too frequendy granted. 
They are the result of an aibitrary power; a tremen- 
duous power. A strong case should be made out to 
warrant them." " I admit all that, chancellor, but 
still I think we are entitled to it; and upon well 
established principles of equity jurisdiction." "You 
must argue that question," says the chancellor ; " sit 
down now, and argue it before me, at chambers." I 
referred to the allegations in the bill, shewing the 
trespass and irreparable injury; and referred him to the 
leading cases in "Eden." 

He told me to come in the next morning, and he 
would decide it. On going there, as soon as I entered 
his office, he said, " You are right ; you have beat me ; 
5'ou have fairly beaten me ; step up and bring Moss, 
and the injunction shall be made out at once." All of 
which was done, and in the end I succeeded in every 
particular in the suit. 

He was an excellent man, full of talk and anecdote. 
No man was more honest, or had a better heart. He 
had stock in the central bank, which my friend, A. M. 
Schermerhorn and myself, had transferred to him and 
to his brother, from whom, on his death, the chancellor 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 205 

derived the stock held by Moss. I think he retained ir 
up to, or very near the time of his decease. 

Many years ago, I appHed to the chancellor, to ap- 
point appraisers of improvements, under a statute of 
the state, in reference to certain military lands, that I 
had recovered in ejectment. 

One of the appraisers appointed by him, was the 
late Robert S. Rose, of Ontario county, who had been 
Ml the constitutional convention with him. In his order 
appointing appraisers, he alluded to Mr. Rose as having 
been a member of the convention, and indorsed him as 
follows : " Known to me to be an honest man." A 
flattering adjudication to INIr. Rose, coming as it did 
from the high court of chancery. 

On the first of January, 1847, I made a New-year's 
call on the chancellor, and also on Chief Justice 
Spencer, then in New York. The chancellor was 
cheerful and affable as ever, enjo3^ed good health, look 
a glass of wine, remarked that he had always taken 
his wine occasionally ; that he was old fashioned in his 
opinions ; that he was sure wine did him no harm, but 
was rather a benefit; that he was never ultra in his 
views; and he would not give up well settled opinions, 
or habits of life, to conform to ultraisms of the day. 

On calling on Judge Spencer, I found him in fine 
health and spirits. He, like Chancellor Kent, was not 
ultra, but seemed to enjoy life ; though I believe he did 
not drink wine at that time. One incident occurred, 
that showed the strength and accuracy of his memory. 
On my remarking to him, that he had licensed me to 
practice as attorney, he replied that I was mistaken, 
that Judge Thompson signed my attorney's license ; and 
he, (Judge Spencer,) my license as counsel ; which was 
correct, though I had forgotten it. 



206 REMINISCENCES 

Judge Spencer was a remarkably strong-minded 
man. I don't suppose be had read so much as Chan- 
cellor Kent; but as a common law judge, we have 
never had his superior in the state. He always took a 
strong, common-sense view of the case, and grasping 
the whole subject, applied the law with an accuracy 
and consistency, at which but few men can arrive. At 
the circuits, and at oyer and terminer, he disposed of 
cases with great promptness, and was generally ac- 
curate in his off-hand opinions. He was very much of 
a politician, and for more than twenty years, exercised 
an almost uncontrolled influence throughout the state, 
with the democracy. Unbending in his views, competi- 
tors usually yielded to him ; and if not, a trial of 
political strength was sure to follow. While he was a 
member of the bench, it would have been an ornament 
to any state or country. I fear it will be many years 
before we shall have a court equal to that old supreme 
court. Its superior I do not expect to see. 

The New Year's call just mentioned, was my last 
interview with each of these great men, who now '' sleep 
with their fathers." 

I have thought the late Judge Story, very much re- 
sembled Chancellor Kent, in the cast of mind, and 
conversational powers. Kent was the most talkative 
of the two. In 1824, I had business before Judge 
Story, and went to Salem, where he resided, to have 
him allow a writ of habeas corpus. 

The object of the writ was to obtain the custody 
of a little motherless girl, who resided with her grand- 
parents, at Pawtucket, near Providence. Some family 
difficulty between them and the father of the child, 
induced them to keep her secluded from him. He was 
my client, and sued out the writ. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 207 

Under the advice of the late Thomas Addis Em- 
mett, the father and myself, at a previous time had 
started for Providence, intending to pick up the child 
as she was going to school, or wherever she might be 
found, and carry her out of that state to Connecticut. 

We came to New York, and corresponded with 
friends at Providence, who discouraged that summary 
mode of proceeding, and expressed a belief that we 
would probably fail, and get imprisoned ourselves. 

Mr. Emmett's opinion was predicated on the right 
of the father to the custody of the child, as the natural 
guardian and protector. The advice was rash ; and 
we did well in giving up the project, and resorting to 
legal proceedings. Having obtained the writ, I came 
on with Judge Story, to Providence, where the court 
was to be held, and where the late Elisha Williams, 
who was associate counsel, was to meet me. 

The child was at school, at the quaker seminary 
in Providence ; and was spirited away at night, as 
soon as the grand-parents learned that we were after 
her. The next day they appeared in court, to make 
return and answer the writ. We had served the 
habeas corpus at night, on the principals of the sem- 
inary, who also appeared and answered. All of them 
denied having the child in custody. They made 
return to the writ, and put in their answers, under 
the advice of counsel, and the best counsel they could 
get. Dutee J. Pearce, and the late William Hunter, 
acted as counsel. Mr. Williams moved the court for 
leave to file interrogatories, and that the defendants 
should answer on oath. This was resisted ; and the 
questions were argued with much ability, and by 
Williams with thrilling eloquence, and most powerful 
effect 



203 REMINISCENCES 

He had never met the Rhode Island bar before, 
and this was his first appearance before Judge Story ; 
who, as well as the members of the bar, were delighted 
with him. Williams seemed to enter into the argu- 
ment, and the whole proceedings, with more heart 
and feeling, from the fact that the parent of the child, 
who was a respectable clergyman, was the son of 
the old pastor under whose preaching WilUams had 
been brought up. The cause was argued with much 
ability on the other side ; for Pearce was quite au 
able man, and Hunter was at the head of the bar in 
that state. But Williams broke down all opposition, 
and carried the court and audience with him. When 
he discussed the natural right of the father to the 
custody of the child, that he might enjoy her society, 
and direct her footsteps along the path of life, while 
her tender mind should be guided in the ways of 
truth and virtue ; and then depicted the cruelty of 
the attempt to exclude him, and to prejudice her mind 
against him ; while those having the custody of the 
child were setting the laws at defiance, and evading 
or disregarding the mandate of the court — his appeal 
was eloquent and effective beyond description. Many 
of the crowded audience were in tears. The court 
allowed our motion, and ordered the parties to appear 
the next day, to answer interrogatories. 

In the evening, we drew up and copied interroga- 
tories, twenty-five in number, as searching and sifting 
as we could make them. When we were through 
it was eleven o'clock. Williams said, "we will stop 
now ; we have got enough. We will go down, and 
let Horton make us a good glass of whiskey punch ; 
and to-morrow we will have the girl, or have the 
quaker in jail." 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 209 

On serving copies of interrogatories, the opposite 
party in a measure gave it up, and proposed a com- 
promise, which was assented to, and an order made 
by the court to carry it into effect. 

In due time the child was surrendered to her 
father. She has often told me, that had we gone 
there, and carried her away, she should have been 
frightened to death. 

While we were at Providence, we were invited 
by Mr. Whipple, a highly respectable member of the 
bar, to a supper party. Judge Story, and nearly 
all the legal gentlemen, with several others, were 
present. We spent a pleasant evening, full of anec- 
dote and conversation. The supper was good, the 
wine excellent ; and Whipple brought out a bottle or 
two of rum, which his uncle. Commodore Whipple, 
had bottled during the war in 17S0, forty-four years 
before. 

Hunter, who was a lover of good things, became 
quite gay and loquacious, somewhat in advance (though 
not a great deal) of the rest of the company. He 
was a man of fine talents ; occupied, for many years, 
a distinguished position in that state, and in the senate 
of the United ^States ; and died either last year or 
the present. 

Few men in this state have equalled Elisha 
Williams, as a jury advocate. His fine form, open, 
generous countenance, sonorous voice, contributed 
towards his success : but his great forte was, his 
manner of convincing the understanding, and then 
controlling and carrying the feelings of the jury and 
auditory with him. Some of his efforts I used to 
think superior to any thing I had ever heard. David 
B. Ogd^n was an able man before a jury, but not 
14 



210 REMINISCENCES 

a match for IMr. Williams. Before the court for the 
correction of errors, I think Ogden was his superior. 
Ogden had the faculty of condensing his arguments, 
and seizing upon, and presenting the strong points of 
his case, in a manner more effective than any man 
I have ever heard before that court ; and at the same 
time demolishing those of his adversary. 

I had letters to Hon. Daniel Webster, as well 
as to Judge Story ; and on my way to Salem, called 
on Mr. W. which was the first time I had ever seen 
that distinguished gentleman. He invited me to a 
small party at his house that evening, where, among 
"others, I met the late George Blake, an eminent lawyer 
of Boston ; and Major Russell, editor of a leading 
city paper. It was in November, 1824 ; and the New 
York legislature were then in session, to choose electors 
of president and vice-president. The contest was 
between Adams, Clay, Crawford, and Jackson. I 
was on the Clay electoral ticket, and on the first trial 
five Clay electors were chosen. Had the legislature 
gone on, and perfected the work at that sitting, prob- 
ably the whole Clay ticket would have been elected ; 
but having adjourned, the Adams and Crawford men 
became alarmed ; and, under an impression that Mr. 
Clay would be elected by Congress, should he be 
returned as one of the three highest candidates, as 
he undoubtedly would have been ; they united, and 
divided the rest of the votes between Adams and 
Crawford, except one given for General Jackson. The 
Boston gentlemen felt a strong interest for Mr. Adams, 
and were very inquisitive to know what I thought 
would be the result in New York. 

I told them I thought Mr. Clay would get a majority 
of the New York votes, unless the other parties com- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 211 

bined to defeat him, which I somewhat apprehended- 
They knew I was on the Clay ticket, and spoke 
kindly of Mr. Clay, as their second choice. I thought 
the next mail would announce my own election, with 
several others from our ticket ; but after the first trial 
we were never able to command a majority ; the com- 
bination controlled, and Mr. Clay failed by a few 
votes of being: as hi^h as Mr. Crawford. When 
congress assembled, they proceeded to elect a presi- 
dent from the three highest ; and Mr. Adams, through 
Mr. Clay's influence, was chosen. 

Mr. Clay, in my judgment, was then in a position, 
as speaker of the house, to have been Mr. Adams' 
successor, had he remained as he was, instead of 
taking a place in the cabinet. No matter whether he 
had opposed or sustained the administration, his high 
standing and personal popularity would have made 
him president ; but his friends, particularly those from 
the west, wanted him in the cabinet with Mr. Adams, 
and insisted upon and controlled him. They felt 
unbounded confidence in him, but did not in Mr. 
Adams, to the same extent. 

It was an error for Mr. C. to take office as it 
gaye the opposition, an opportunity of holding his 
appointment up to the community, as the result of a 
bargain between him and the president. This was 
seized upon with avidity, and was believed by great 
numbers, though the allegation was without the slightest 
ground of truth. Mr. Clay was urged there by his 
friends ; and abundant proof has been furnished, to 
exculpate him and Mr. Adams from the foul charge. 
In fact, their high reputation, and many years devotion 
to the interests of the country, with characters untar- 
nished and undefiled, should have been a sufficient 



212 f REMINISCENCES 

guarantee of their integrity, without the abundant 
refutation from well-established facts. 

While in New York, on my way to Boston, Provi- 
dence, &c., I met Gov. Tompkins, at or near the post 
office, which I think was the last time I ever saw him. 
He was decidedly favorable to the election of Mr. Clay, 
and complained of the pertinacity of those democrats, 
(Mr. Van Buren in particular,) who insisted on forcing 
Mr. Crawford, in direct opposition to the feelings of a 
large majority of the voters of the state. He predicted 
the defeat of the democratic party, from these dissen- 
tions. 

I had seen the Governor a year or two before, al 
his house on Staten Island, where with a committee 
from the Grand Lodge, I had gone to invite him as 
Past Grand Master, to attend our sitting; which he 
complied with the next day. Nathaniel Allen, of On- 
tario county, (since deceased) was one of the committee ; 
and he was a man of integrity and great energy of 
character ; a good democrat, and popular political 
leader in his county. 

In the summer of 1825, I met Judge Story, at 
Niagara Falls, and again for a short time at Cherry 
Valley, where he stopped on his way home. He was 
at the public house kept by the late Wilham Story, who 
for several years kept the stage house, which was one 
of the best hotels between Albany and Canandaguai. 
The judge had observed the spelling of the name on 
the sign, and was criticising it. I think he said it was 
spelled wrong, and sent for the host to make enquiry. 
If I recollect right it was spelled on the sign "Storey," 
which on explanation, turned out to have been a mis- 
take of the painter, for I believe they spelled their 
names alike, — without the e. 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 213 

Mr. Webster was with the judge, and had been with 
him to Niagara. 

As I am on events of 1824-5, I may as well refer 
to the completion of the Erie canal, which was finished 
in 1825 ; when the waters of Lake Erie were mingled 
with the ocean. 

It was a proud day for New York, and particularly 
so for those who for years had sustained and upheld the 
canal policy. The great work was completed ; and 
cannon stationed along the canal had announced it from 
Buffalo to the ocean. 

I had gone to Albany to be present at the imposing 
ceremony, where were collected in immense numbers, 
citizens from every part of the state. 

Masonry was then in its zenith. The fraternity 
were there in greater numbers, and in more splendour 
than I have ever seen them on any other occasion. 

On reaching Albany, the public houses were all 
filled. I was put in a room with three others, one of 
whom, was the late learned Doctor Mitchell, of New 
York. He was there to take charge of the waters 
from Lake Erie, which were to be presented by the 
doctor to " Old Neptune." The doctor was always 
sociable and interesting, for his varied learning 
on almost every subject, rendered his conversation 
attractive. 

The boats had arrived at the locks at Albany, 
where they were to be passed through into the river, 
w^hen the procession formed and moved there, to perfect 
the masonic ceremonies, typical of the completion of 
the great work. The military and citizens generally 
were out ; and the procession was striking and im- 
posing. 

The late Ezra Ames, of Albany, acted as Grand 



214 REMINISCENCES 

Master. Gen. Stephen Van Renssellaer, " the Patroon," 
was in fact Grand Master of the State, and Gov. Clin- 
ton of the United States; but they being canal com- 
missioners, or belonging to the canal board, were in the 
first boat with the other commissioners. 

Several boats were in the procession, all of them 
loaded with passengers containing as many as could 
safely be on them. As they approached the lock, a 
deposit was made in the monument, of papers, manu- 
scripts, and other articles, giving a history of the vv^ork. 
The acting grand master then proceeded in the presence 
of the fraternity and thousands of spectators, to adjust 
and pla,ce the " cap stone," in masonic forms. He 
finally gave the three emblematic knocks, declaring it 
finished. The brethren passed round, as if to inspect 
and verify the truth of the annunciation, performing 
their part of the ceremony; the cannon announced the 
completion ; and the boats glided through the lock 
into the Hudson. Gov. Clinton was standing in the 
bow of the first boat; he was well dressed, and never 
appeared better. He no doubt exulted in his feelings, 
in the success of the great measure, on which he had 
for many years staked his reputation, and for which he 
had contended against fearful odds, and a determined 
opposition. I could see his emotions as they were 
manifested in his manly countenance. A nervous, or 
muscular twitching of his cheeks could not be un- 
observed by those who watched him closely. 

It was not far from this year, though I think a 
few years before, Governor Clinton came to Cherry 
Valley. Judge Hammond, Oliver Judd, Esq. and 
myself, went with him to see " Brimstone Falls," as 
they were called ; then in the solitude of a deep 
forest. We had no way of getting in^o the profound 



BV LEVI BEARDSLEY. 215 

gulf, except to go down some half-mile and descend, 
and then walk up to the falls, unless we crowded 
ourselves through a narrow fissure in the rocks, on 
the easterly side, and then, by a very rapid descent, 
reach the bottom of the gulf. 

We took the latter course ; but Mr. Clinton being 
a large man, it was as much as he could do to crowd 
through. 1 had my gun with me, and shot a large 
cat-headed owl, that was flitting about in the tops 
of the trees, secluded, as he thought, in this recess, 
from observation. Mr. Clinton examined him closel}', 
made a note of the exploit in his note-book, and 
frequently afterwards referred to my shooting his 
" owl-ship." He gave us an interesting dissertation 
on the great variety of the owl family, wdth the habits 
and mode of life of many of them ; showing himself 
a well-read ornitholocrist. 

O 

I think it was at this visit to the county, that he 
procured some of the " Otsego bass," which he Latin- 
ized, and called them the " Sahno Otscgoensis.^^ He 
had an accurate drawing made of the fish, which 
for many years was deposited in the Albany institute, 
and is probably there yet. He wrote an able article 
in relation to this fish, which he said was not to be 
found in any other waters of the United States, or 
elsewhere, so far as he had been able to ascertain. 
He declared it among fish the " beau ideal" of perfec- 
tion, as the canvass-back duck is among aquatic birds. 

Doctor William Campbell, late surveyor-general, 
and myself, were made honorary members of the 
Albany institute ; and as long as I visited it, the 
drawing of that fish was there, with an extract from 
Governor Clinton's description of him. 



216 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Elected to the Assembly, 1825. — Democratic Caucus first held 
with open doors. — Distinguished Men in that Legisla- 
ture. — Great Southern Road, the Leading Measure. — 
First Railroad Charter. — Ignorance in regard to Rail- 
roads. — Great Impulses from Construction of New York 
Canals and Railroads. — Fiftieth Anniversary of Ameri- 
can Independence. — Extraordinary Coincidence in the 
Lives and Deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. 
— Incident of Col. Stranahan. — Morgan Outrage, and 
Anti-Masonry. — Reflections on Sale of Pater 7ial Iloine- 
stead. — Migratory Habits of our Countrymen. 

At the election of 1825, I was sent to the assembly, 
from Otsego county, by a very flattering vote, and 
served through the session of 1S2G ; during which we 
apportioned the representation to the legislature, under 
the census then recently taken. Previous to organizing 
the house the democratic members held a caucus. 

Those caucuses had always been held in secret, 
with closed doors, and every one excluded, except 
members of the " right stripe." In accordance with 
former usage, it was proposed to close the doors, which 
was opposed by several of us. Ogden Hoffmnn was 
then a democratic member from Orange county, and 
he, with myself and a few others, advocated a public 
caucus, contending that there was the same propriety 
in having our convocation with open doors, as there was 
in open county conventions, for nom.ination of candi- 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 217 

dates. That we had no work of darkness to perform ; 
and from the fact that these meetings had been private, 
the community were suspicious of them, and disappro- 
bated secret conclaves. Gen. Root, and some old 
politicians opposed public caucuses, as an innovation 
upon democratic usages; but on putting it to vote we 
carried the question, which threw open the doors ; and 
since that time those meetings have generally been 
public. I do not recollect an instance to the con- 
trary. 

Col. Young was selected as our candidate for speak- 
er, by a unanimous vote, and was subsequently elected 
by the house. He made me chairman of the com- 
mittee of ways and means ; a conspicuous position for 
a new member. That house of assembly was an able 
one, and comprised many men who have since taken 
high and commanding stations in state and national 
affairs. Gen. Root, a veteran politician, was there. 
Francis Granger was then for the first time member of 
assembly ; John Tracy, since Lieutenant Gov. ; Judge 
Jewett, now of the court of appeals ; Judge Monell, 
late circuit judge ; Hon. Aaron Vanderpool ; John G. 
Forbes; Ogden Hoffman; Baron S. Doty; Gen. Sill; 
David Woodcock; David W. Bucklin; Daniel Ward- 
well; Sam. S. Lush; Stephen Allen; Asa Haskell; 
Isaac Hayes; Eleazer Burnham; Elisha W. King; 
Henry Stephens; David Woods; and Peter Robinson; 
the two latter having been speakers of assembly. Gen. 
Cruger, and several others of highly respectable talents 
besides Col. Young, the speaker. Few houses of assem- 
bly have contained so many good debaters, and men of 
practical good sense, as the assembly of 1826 ; and I think 
it maj'- be said that none since that time have excelled it. 
De Witt Clinton was then Governor, who had pre- 



218 REMINISCENCES 

viously recommended a road from Lake Erie, through 
the southern tier of counties, to the Hudson river; and 
in pursuance of that recommendation a law was passed 
authorising an exploration and survey ; in pursuance of 
which law, the late Nathaniel Pitcher, George Morell, 
and Jabez D. Hamn^ond, were appointed commis- 
sioners. 

They made a favorable report, and the Gov. urged 
the construction of the road, which became the leading 
and absorbing question of the session. The house was 
nearly equally divided ; the northern and canal counties 
generally opposing it. General Root and Col. Young 
taking opposite sides, the former for, the latter against it; 
between whom a bitter personal discussion took place, 
resulting in a quarrel which was never wholly recon- 
ciled. 

After a protracted and animated debate, the bill was 
finally rejected by a very close vote ; and soon after, 
the advocates of the road partially avenged themselves 
by repealing the law authorising a half mill tax. 

Bills having in view the construction of lateral 
canals were also rejected, so that very little legislation 
succeeded, that was regarded as of deep importance to 
several local interests. One law however, was passed, 
which has in its consequences led to most important re- 
sults ; and has nearly changed the mode of locomotion, 
as well as business. I allude to the first railroad char- 
ter in the state, which was incorporated this session : 
Albany and Schenectady. 

Railroads have become so common, and we are now 
so familiar with their construction, their management, 
and the running on them, that it is almost impossible at 
the present day, to realize how little was then known of 
them. At that time, if I recollect right, a locomotive 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 219 

had not passed over the Great Western railroad, in 
England : and, comparatively speaking, little was 
known of them there. Now every one comprehends 
them and appreciates their general utility. 

The Erie canal had been completed in 1S25, which 
splendid achievement had enlarged the views, and 
removed many prejudices against internal improve- 
ments, so that men began to believe many things 
possible which they did not fully comprehend ; and 
railroads were among the incomprehensibles. There 
was scarcely any one in the legislature who knew any 
thing about them, or who had a correct idea in relation 
to this grand modern improvem.ent. Tredgold's work 
on railroads, had recently been published, and a few 
had slightly glanced over it, but it was not understood 
except by professional engineers ; and hence, when they 
talked of railroads, locomotives, flanges, &c. the great 
body of the legislature had no adequate idea of the 
subject. It was all " Greek " to them, — " a sealed 
book." I know the bill was advocated, and voted for, 
more to enable an experiment to be made, than from a 
belief that the road would be constructed. 

It was apprehended that frosts in our climate would 
operate upon, and throw the track out of place, that it 
would be buried many months with snow, and that the 
whole would prove a failure. 

Under such impressions our first railroad was 
authorised; and what has been the result? Twenty- 
five years have dispelled all illusions, solved the doubts, 
and removed prejudices, that then ^existed. Now 
no one is so blind, or incredulous, as to regard railroads 
with doubt or disfavor. 

They are the great annihilators of space in locomo- 
tion; as the magnetic telegraph is, in reference to 



220 REMINISCENCES 

thought and mind. The authorization and construction 

o 
of this road, was but the commencement of a system 

of improvements, that has already spread over the 
country, interlacing and binding together, with iron 
bands, far distant and disjointed portions of the repub- 
lic. The Erie canal was the precursor to many others 
in the empire state; and these, as a system, have 
demonstrated their utility and value, to such an extent, 
as to be followed and imitated by other states of the 
union. What would western New York, or the west- 
ern states be worth, without the benefits of canals to 
reach tide water? 

It was the Erie canal, under the auspices of Mr. 
Clinton, that shed light on understandings darkened 
with ignorance, or warped by prejudice ; thereby 
creating and sustaining a system that has enlarged and 
diffused itself, to an unlimited extent; and resulting in 
benefits to every portion of the country, beyond estima- 
tion. So too, in regard to railroads. New York has 
given the impulse. If the history, in detail, of the 
various canals and railroads, shall ever be written, it 
will present great outlines, in a high degree creditable 
to my native state ; and yet there has been no time, 
that ignorance or narrow prejudices, have not to a con- 
siderable extent existed, even in the city of New York ; 
where certainly, the splendid revenues, and immense 
benefits of the canals, should have dispelled illusions 
that honestly existed .before their completion. Party 
spirit seized on these prejudices, during Mr. Clinton's 
time, and wielded them in opposition to him and his 
canal projects. They have existed ever since, and still 
exist; arid have too often been used with hurtful effects, 
to the great leading interests of the country. Poll- 



BY LEVI BEARDS LEY. 221 

ticians, however, have generally been rebuked ; and 
found it an unprofitable, as well as unpopular position to 
place thennselves in opposition to state improvements. 
Several instances might be given, fully sustaining and 
illustrating the truth of this remark. 

It is a reflection in the highest degree consolatory, 
that my efforts, humble as they have been, have 
uniformly sustained the great systems of improvement, 
from the time canals were first urged upon the con- 
sideration of the state authorities, up to their final 
triumph, and the general adoption of railroads through- 
out the country. 

To show how little was known of railroads, even 
by men of general information and scientific acquire- 
ments — men who had travelled abroad, and were 
distinguished for their devotion to projects of improve- 
ments — it may be interesting to my readers, to look 
at the following letter from Chancellor Livingston, in 
March, 1811, with remarks of the Philadelphia Ledger. 
Chancellor Livinn^ston had been our minister to France 
— had spent several years in Europe — had patronized 
Fulton, in his steam-boat improvements — and yet had 
no adequate conception of railroads. 

"Railroads in 181L — 'Impossible!' is still a word of 
thundering sound and mighty influence, in the ears of some 
of the most sensible of people. It seems a characteristic 
quality of human nature, to think that each great invention 
or improvement must of necessity be the last. As an illus- 
tration, we copy a letter recently communicated to the 
National Era, written by Robert R. Livingston, (a great 
man in his day, and at one time Chancellor of the State of 
New York,) on the subject of a projected railroad. It 
contains a homily for progress, and a deal of amusement 
besides : — 



222 REMimSCENCES 

"Albany, March 11, 1811. 
" Dear Sir, 

" I did not till yesterday receive yours of the 25tli 
of February : where it has loitered on the road, I am at a 
loss to say. I had before read of your very ingenious propo- 
sitions as to the railway communication. I fear, how^ever, 
on mature reflection, that they will be liable to serious 
objection, and ultimately more expensive than a canal. They 
must be double, so as to prevent the danger of two such 
heavy bodies meeting. The walls on which they are placed 
must be at least four feet below the surface, and three above; 
and must be clamped with iron ; and even then would hardly 
sustain so heavy a weight as you propose, moving at the 
rate of four miles an hour on wheels. As to wood, it would 
not last a week. They must be covered with iron, and 
that too very thick and strong. The means of stopping these 
heavy carriages, without great shock, and of preventing them 
from running upon each other — for there would be many 
running on the road at once — would be very difficult. In 
case of accidents, stops, or the necessary stops to take wood 
and water, &c. many accidents would happen. The carriage 
for condensing water would be very troublesome. Upon 
the whole, I fear the expense would be much greater than 
that of canals, without being so convenient. 

R. R. Livingston." 
" The reader of the present day, who sees what a railroad 
is, and what it accomplishes, may readily laugh at the above 
suggestions. Yet every discovery of the present day is met 
with objections equally as absurd. Not that men ought to 
receive everything new as practicable and good ; but they 
ought not to oppose a thing without proper examination, 
and because it is new, conceive it to be a humbug. Careful 
and patient examination is necessary, in both cases ; and 
where such examination is made for the purpose of discover- 
ing the truth alone, the properly-informed man is seldom 
mistaken in his conclusions. Investigation establishes truth, 
and exposes error." — FhiladelpJda Ledger. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEy. 223 

The fourth of July of this 5^ear, was the fiftieth 
anniversary of our national independence ; on which 
day, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, by so many, 
and scarcely short of miraculous coincidences, closed 
their eventful lives. The facts that they were members 
gf the same congress ; on the same committee for 
drafting the declaration of independence, thereby im- 
n^ortalizing their names — then that each had been 
vice-president and president, and should have gone 
off the same day, and that day just half a century 
from the nation's birth — presented coincidencies so 
strange and unlikely, that chance could not bring it 
about, one time in many millions. 

Preparations were made to celebrate the day at 
Cooperstown with extraordinary show and spirit. Al- 
van Stewart was orator, and a large assemblage from 
every part of the county was present. 

On arriving at Cooperstown, Stewart and myself 
ascertained that Col. Stranahan, who for many 3'ears 
had been a leader of the Otsego democracy, had 
held a respectable standing at the bar, and in the 
community ; had behaved gallantly in Queenston bat- 
tle, (though taken prisoner) was locked up in jail for 
debt. We thought it too bad that he should be in- 
carcerated, when ever3'body else was free ; so we 
went to the sheriff, and gave our word to indemnify 
him, if he would bring Stranahan to the celebration. 
They came ; and after the oration, dined with the 
celebrating part3^ 

The toasts being drank, and table exercises over, 
as night approached the sheriff wanted to return to 
the jail, and Stranahan must go with him. We were 
all in merry mood, and felt independent. Some one 
proposed to go with the colonel, and see him locked 



224 EEM-INISC'ENCES 

up. Stewart, Judge Morel], and myself; and I think 
one or two others, went with them. I think Sherman 
Page was one : when, on reaching the jail, we con- 
cluded to be locked in with the colonel, to ascertain 
how it would seem to be confined in jail. We en- 
quired the amount, of the debt; and finally proposed 
to the sheriff to have an interview with the plaintiff, 
which resulted in our paying about $20 each, and he 
losing the rest : so that Stranahan was discharged, 
and released from confinement. This, if I recollect 
right, was the last time I ever saw poor Stranahan. 
He seemed to have fallen from the " high estate" 
which for many 3'ears he had occupied, and died a 
few months afterwards. 

During the autumn of 1S26 I first visited Ohio ; 
and while there, that wicked and ill-judged occurrence 
took place, known as the abduction of Morgan ; from 
which arose the anti-masonic party that swept over 
, western New York like wild-fire, revolutionizing a great 
number of counties, formerly the most democratic 
portions of the state. 

The excitement was not confined to the western 
part of the state, though it was more pervading, from 
the fact, that the outrage being committed there, was 
brought more immediately under observation, and 
became the subject for embittered discussions in news- 
papers, the pulpit, and among politicians. In fact, 
it came very near revolutionizing the whole state : but 
the democratic party, planting itself on its old, well- 
established platform, and adhering to regular nomina- 
tions, was able to withstand it in the state at large ;. 
though it found in anti-masonry, a most fierce, unre- 
lenting, and powerful adversary. The outrage was 
the act of a few enthusiastic, misguided tnasons ; who 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 225 

assumed ihe lawless and fearful responsibility of kid- 
napping and carrying off Morgan, to punish him for 
having revealed, what he declared to be the secrets 
of the society. 

. William IMorgan is represented by those who knew 
him, as a garrulous, trifling man ; of some smartnesa 
to be sure, but rrot distinguished for talents or profound 
judgment. He had written what he called a disclosure 
of the secrets of the order; and several masons, more 
imprudent than himself — as if to give consequence to 
his production — by their anxiety to destroy his manu- 
script, and to punish him, gave it more credit for truth 
than it could otherwise have obtained ; and, in the 
end, committed an outrage, from the odium of which, 
the society of free-masons, after more than a quarter 
of a century, has not yet entirely recovered. 

He was seized at Canandaigua, put in a carriage, 
and posted hastily and secretly to Batavia ; thence to 
Lockport; and thence to Fort Niagara, on the Niagara 
river ; where, from the fact that he has never been 
heard of since, and from the threats and givings out 
of those who had him in custody, there can be scarcely 
a doubt that he was murdered. 

To say nothing of the wickedness of the transaction, 
and its lawless assumption of power over life and 
liberty ; it was weak and impolitic in the extreme. 
Had the masons disregarded the publication, it would 
have passed off and died away, like " Jachin and 
Boaz^"^ and other ephemeral productions ; and would 
soon have been forgotten : while the attempt to suppress 
it, accompanied by acts of violence and disregard of 
law, seemed to be an indorsement, that could hardly 
fail to satisfy the uninitiated that it contained much 
truth. That the public mind should be exasperated, 
15 



226 KEMINISCENCES 

and wrought up to a high state of excitement, was to 
be expected ; for the transaction assumed and sanc- 
tioned an inquisitorial power superior to law ; by 
which a secret society claimed to have, or did exercise 
authority, over the liberty and life of the citizen. 

It is extraordinary, that men of reputation, fair 
standing, and sound judgment, could have been so in- 
fatuated as to engage in the lawless enterprise. Yet it 
was so ; for many of those implicated were leading 
influential men of Western New York; and hence, it 
is not extraordinary that the great mass of the people 
condemned and denounced the act, when they learned 
that men of property and high standing had thus 
violated law. 

Had anti-masonry confined its exertions to warring 
against the institution of free-masonry, and against 
masons themselves, it would very likely have nearly 
destroj^ed the one in the state, and put down the others 
for a season, at least. But it was bitter and proscrip- 
tive ; and not only denounced all members of the 
society, who did not renounce, and that too, whether 
they justified or condemned the outrage. They went 
far beyond this; and proscribed and denounced those 
who were not masons, unless they would join in the 
crusade against those who were; whether guilty or 
innocent. 

Those who were not masons and refused to join the 
anti-masons, were designated by them as " mason's 
jacks;" and the "jacks" were as bitterly stigmatised, 
as the masons themselves, and even more so, by the 
anties. This intolerant spirit sealed the fate of the anti- 
masonic party, which in a few years pined and dwindled 
away. 

Its operation was singular. It never made much 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 227 

impression or gained much foothold in the " river coun- 
ties," as they are called : or in counties where a large 
proportion of the inhabitants were of Dutch origin: 
nor did it material!}'- affect the city of New York, or 
Long Island. In some towns, in the same count}^ it 
changed democratic towns, and placed them in decided 
opposition to the party ; while in others, it rendered 
towns democratic that had always been on the other 
side. Thus, in my own county, (Otsego,) the towns of 
Cherry Valley, Springfield, Middlefield,, and Otsego, 
had always been relied upon, as the strongholds of 
federalism, or whatever names the opposition to the de- 
mocratic party assumed ; and these were completely 
revolutionized, and remained democratic for several 
years, from the mere attempt to introduce anti-masonry. 
They are strongly democratic still, with the exception 
of Cherry Valley, which, since anti-masonry died away, 
is able, if canvassed closely, to give small majorities for 
the whig party. In Richfield, Plainfield, Exeter, and 
Hartwick, which had uniformly been democratic towns, 
anti-masonry turned them over to the other side, where 
they remained, till anti-masonic zeal began to abate. 
The county of Otsego, one of the most reliable demo- 
cratic counties, though much infected with anti-masonry 
in many portions of it, was able generally to maintain 
its republican ascendancy, notwithstanding the efforts 
of the anties, aided by those who did not profess to be 
such, but yet from political considerations went in with 
them against the democracy. 

In one or two elections, they succeeded in electing 
portions of their ticket ; owing more to the popularity 
of their candidates, and the unpopularity of the dem- 
ocratic nominees, than from the strength of parties. 
Nor was the sixth senatorial district, of which I was 



228 REMINISCE NCEtS 

one of the senators for eight 5''ears, so far carried -away 
as to be of equivocal political standing, except for a 
single year, when the opposition carried their senator, 
through the joint efforts of anti-masonry and its allies, 
aided by some local questions in the district. 

My first election to the senate was in the fall of 
1829 ; when the anti-masonic party were quite as 
powerful in Otsego as at any other period, and I think 
more so ; and my election was contested by a can- 
didate of that party, who was defeated by nearly six 
thousand in the district; and, if I remember right, 
almost two thousand in our county, (Otsego.) 

On the whole, my vote was probably increased 
from that kind of opposition ; for I had an unusually 
large majority. I first heard of the Morgan outrage at 
Niagara, in Canada ; where I stopped a few days, on 
my return from Ohio. I saw at that place, an acquain- 
tance who was residing there ; formerly from Cherry 
Valley ; on whom I had, as master of the lodge, con- 
ferred the degree of master mason. He had heard 
rumours that Morgan had been brought to Fort Niagara, 
and that he had probably been murdered ; and asked 
me if I had heard of it? On my answering in the 
negative, he said he had been told by certain masons 
in the village, that a deputation had been sent from the 
American side of the river, to consult with masons in 
Canada, as to the best mode of disposing of Morgan ; 
and to solicit their co-operation, which had been 
refused. He also said, that the lodge at Brantford 
had been consulted, of which John Brandt, son of the 
celebrated Joseph Brandt, of revolutionary memory, 
was master, or a leading member; and that Brandt 
had been urged to take charge of Morgan, and dispose 
of him as he and his Indians should think proper. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 229 

This proposition, my informant said, had been 
promptly and decidedly rejected ; and he was appre- 
hensive Morgan had been sent out of the country, or 
slain by those who had him in charge. He did not 
seem to know anything about it, except from hearsay ; 
and as this was the first intimation that I had received, 
I regarded it as a rumour without any foundation in 
fact, and thought but little of it at the time. 

I hrwe recently been informed by a gentleman 
from Canada, who then resided at Niagara village, 
whose word is entitled to implicit confidence, that he 
knows such a proposition was made to Brandt, who 
repelled it with indignation. My informant says, that 
when Brandt spoke of it, as an attempt to place 
Morgan in his hands, that if murdered, it might be 
charged as the brutal act of hardly half-civilized sa- 
vages — he denounced it as a base, cowardly attempt 
to induce him and his nation to do a lawless deed, 
desired by the instigators, but which they lacked 
courage to perform. Indian as he was, he declared 
that blood in the peaceful walks of life should neither 
stain him or his nation. My informant added, that his 
denunciations were in language and in manner, that 
would have conferred honor on the most finished orators 
of Greece or Rome, in their palmiest days. 

I shall have something more to say of this John 
Brandt, who is now dead, in another chapter. 

It was not far from this time that my lather frequent- 
ly spoke of selling his firm. He was getting old, his 
children had left him, and he thought its management 
required too much hard work, and brought with it too 
many cares for his age. 

It was the farm on which we had first settled, and 
was then under good cultivation, with a large orchard, 
commodious buildin-^^s and every thing comfortable. 



230 REMINISCENCES 

I could not believe him in earnest, as the farm was 
a favorite one, on which he had resided since 1790; 
which he had cleared up and brought to, from an un- 
broken wilderness to its then improved condition. He 
had reared his family there, and on that farm in his 
new house my mother had died in ISll. 

Knowing his industrious habits, and his attachment 
to that farm, I did not believe he would be contented 
off of it; or anywhere, unless he had employment that 
should keep him busy. 

Not wishing him to sell, I rather discouraged it, but 
alwa3's objected to his working so much ; and advised 
him from time to time to get a steady industrious man 
and woman, to take charge of the place; and he to 
oversee and work occasionally, as best suited him. He 
would never consent to any permanent arrangement of 
this kind, but kept along, occasionally hiring such out- 
door help as was required, and keeping a hired girl to 
do the heavy work in the house. Had I believed him 
determined to sell, I should probably have bought it, 
for I could have paid for it without inconvenience ; and 
rather wanted to keep it in the family ; but regaiding 
the talk of sale as the whim of an old man, who would 
probably change his mind and want it back again, I 
paid but little attention to it. 

In December, 1830, I went to see him, when he 
informed me he had sold the farm. When he had pre- 
viously spoken to me about selling, I had requested him, 
if he made up his mind to do so, to let me know before 
he made an absolute bargain. He always replied that 
the farm would be valueless to me — that my profession 
was better ; and if I should buy it, one or the other 
would suffer from neglect. 

The view he took of it was business-like, and good 
common sense; for it must have been just as he said 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 231 

it would. But vv'.ien I came to realize that the farm 
was gone ; and that henceforth I was to feel myself 
a stranger, where I had spent the days of my childhood 
— where I had labored from year to year ; clearing up, 
planting the orchard, erecting buildings, improving 
and -beautifs'ing the place — I could not but feel un- 
pleasantl}'. My first thought was to try to break up 
the bargain, and buy it myself. There, said I, in my 
reflections, is the place where we first broke the forest, 
and erected the old log-house. Mj mother was then 
alive ; shared the toils and hardships incident to a new 
country ; discharged her duty faithfully to her family, 
and to community; assisted in building new houses ; 
bore her 3'ouugest child in the house where she died ; 
and now that place, hallowed with these associations, 
is to go into the hands of strangers. There is the 
pine-tree, transplanted when but a shrub, by my own 
hands ; and now towering and lofty by the side of the 
brook, in whose waters and on whose banks I have so 
often amused myself. Then again those poplars, eight 
in number, which I brought from the nursery at one 
time, and planted before the house, and are now eighty 
feet high. Ought I to give up these, and other objects 
equally attractive ? and make no effort to get back the 
family home, where so much of my own life was 
passed, and my industry bestowed? 

^^ The family home!" How many associations, 
cherished, hallowed, and dear, does that bring to mind ! 
My own childish existence ; my brothers and sisters, 
some of whom have passed away ; my parents, of 
whom one is gone, and the other verging towards that 
period when the grasshopper becomes a burden. Re- 
flecting in this way, it appeared plain that I ought to 
secure the farm. Pride says, you ought to own it : you 



232 REMINISCENCES 

will be disgraced to let it go out of the family. 
Family! what is family pride, when the policy of law 
is to subdivide and break up, instead of perpetuating 
estates? You are indulging in anti-republican feelings. 
Prudence (call it avarice if you please,) says, what 
can you do with the farm ? You have a good profes- 
sion : you cannot and ought not to think of giving it 
up. You are eighteen miles off": what can you do 
with it, if j'ou buy it? You will have to lease, and 
intrust it to a tenant ; who will require all the profits, 
and by some device or other will get them. He will 
suffer the fences to go to decay ; the buildings to 
become delapidated. The farm will go up to thistles 
and briars; and here will not only be a constant drain 
by way of outlay, but you will be sadly vexed, morti- 
fied, and disappointed in your expectations. Common 
sense and many years observation, convinced me that 
these were sound, practical views; but 1 could not, 
without a struggle, reconcile myself to the idea, that 
the old homestead must go into other hands. 

Shall I ever again meet my brothers and sisters 
under the paternal roof, where we shall all feel as if 
we were at home? No! that will be impossible, 
should it be at another place. Home ! everything dear 
is included in that word ; yet everything connected 
with it must be sacrificed, unless I step in and break 
up the sale. 

Such were my feelings; but after reflecting upon it, 
and looking at the subject in a business-like view, I re- 
luctantly reconciled myself to it, and the sale was con- 
summated. 

It has appeared to me that there is less attachment 
among our countrymen to their birth place, or the 
family homestead, than almost any civilized people on 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 233 

earth. It is true that almost every one feels a venera- 
tion for the place where he first saw the light, and 
where the glimmerings of reason and memory first 
made a lasting impression. This is a natural impulse 
of our nature ; and it is one, I apprehend, that grows 
stronger as we advance in years ; still the roving pro- 
pensity of the Yankee is proverbial. 

Our actions but too clearly indicate us as mere 
"pilgrims and sojourners on earth," ready to settle 
down in one place, and then break up and re-settle in 
another, just as interest shall seem most likely, in our 
estinnation, to be promoted. Our ancestors gave up 
home and country, and came here as pilgrims and ad- 
venturers, to acquire a residence where they might 
enjoy civil and religious privileges, and lead a life more 
congenial to their feelings. Restless and unsettled, they 
and their descendants, like the ram seen in vision by 
the prophet Daniel, have pushed " westward, north- 
ward, and southward, so that none might stand before 
them." 

Not content with the vast domain, washed by the 
stormy Atlantic, and bounded by the AUeganies, they 
have climbed the Appalachian range, and like an 
avalanche have precipitated themselves into the wide- 
spread and far stretching Mississippi Valley. Discon- 
tented, the restless backwoodsman, with axe and rifle, 
following the orb of day, presses on to the west, to find 
a more favored resting place. The rocky mountains, 
in solitary grandeur, interpose their eternal barriers. 
These, with indomitable resolution, are surmounted, 
and rushing down the western slope, regardless of 
hardships and dangers, nothing short of the great ocean 
seems capable of arresting their onward course, or 
of repressing the migratory habits of our countrymen. 



2S4 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Visit Oliio, 1826. — Interview with Gov. Barry. — Shoot a fine 
Buck. — Again visit Ohio, 1835. — 3Iau?nee Country. — 
Wayne's Battle-Jleld. — Fort Meigs, and incidents at its 
Siege. — Defeat of Col. Dudley. — Gov. Metcalf of Ken- 
tucky. — Anecdotes of him. — Indian Burying-ground. — 
Re?noval of Wyandots. 

My first visit to Oliio, as has been elsewhere mentioned, 
was during the autumn of 1826. Governor Chnlon 
gave me introductory letters to several of the leading 
men of that young state, which, if necessary to be 
used, would have secured a kind reception wherever 
I might have gone. The roads, though excessively 
bad a large portion of the way, were preferred by my 
family to a lake passage; for in 1S26, very few thought 
of trusting themselves on the lake, except those living 
on its borders, or in its immediate vicinity. 

We started off" in our own hired conveyance, and 
were upwards of a fortnight reaching Norwalk, Huron 
county; to which place I could now go, in the summer 
season, within about forty hours. Such are the facilities 
of travel since 1826, only about twenty-five years ! 

Travehng one day in the western part of Huron 
county, where the country was new, I stopped with 
m}"" family at a log tavern ; and while they strayed 
into the garden for peaches, I went into the bar-room. 

A tall, good-looking man, who had just arrived on 
horseback, was sitting at the bar-room table, with 
some cold meat and potatoes before him, from which 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 23-5 

and some corn bread, he was making a hasty, though 
cold dinner ; while his horse was eating corn at the 
trough. 

He had a bottle of rum standing before him, which 
he had brought from Cincinnati. I had lost my old 
hound, and was enquiring for him ; which attracted 
the notice of the tall gentleman at the table. Ad- 
dressing me in western style, he said, " Stranger, will 
you sit down and take some dinner whh me, and a 
drink of rum ? I have some that is right good, brought 
from Cincinnati ; for I knew that nothing but raw 
whiskey could be obtained in these parts." A second 
invitation was not necessary; so without apology I sat 
down, and a fair demonstration was soon made towards 
a total demolition of the cold meat and potatoes; while 
his black bottle was subjected to several heavy pota- 
tions. He was jovial, communicative, and social, and 
on the whole a fine, well-informed, agreeable man, who 
turned out to be Gov. Barry, of Kentucky, a decided 
opponent of Henry Clay ; and was travelling through 
Ohio, as I ascertained, to organize an opposition to Mr. 
Adams' administration, with a view to the election of 
Gen. Jackson ; on whose coming to the presidency, 
Barry was made post-master general. He had many 
good points; a fine, dashing, off-hand, high spirited and 
chivalric gentleman ; open and frank, but I should think 
imprudent, and by no means a safe adviser in the cabinet, 
or discreet manager of a department. His qualities 
however, were such as told effectually, with such a man 
as President Jackson ; and hence, when that great man 
came into power, Barry was selected as one of his 
cabinet. 

While on this excursion, I shot a fine large buck, 
near the Huron river, not far from Monroeville. He 



236 UEMINISCENCES 

was driven from a corn field, by a small dog, in which 
field deer frequently concealed themselves, and fed on 
the corn. I heard the dog a good distance off, and soon 
the buck came bounding along through the small hazel 
bushes, with head and "flag" up most beautifully. 
He stopped about sixteen rods from me, presenting his 
side, though standing rather quartering. As soon as he 
halted, I took quick aim, and fired the rifle barrel. He 
bounded ofl" as if unharmed, and as he came into the 
path, twenty rods from me, 1 discharged the other barrel 
loaded with ball and buckshot, but undoubtedly missed 
him, for it was firing the moment he bounded from a 
thicket into the path. On going to the spot where he 
crossed the road, I found his track, but there was no 
appearance of blood. The track, from the cleft hoofs 
spreading apart, indicated that he vi^as fatally wounded 
and in extremis, but where was the blood ? Exces- 
sively mortified, I began to think I had missed him, 
though I could not understand how that could be ; for 
the rifle went quick, threw its ball accurately, 1 was 
within fair, even short rifle range, and I had good aim. 
The dog came up and soon solved the mystery, for he 
scented the deer, where he was lying in the weeds, a 
few rods from the road, and in plain sight. He was 
large and fat, with fine branching antlers, and was shot 
just were I intended to plant the ball. 

My next visit to that state, was in 1835, when I 
visited its northern portions and Detroit. My wife went 
with me as did also Judge Morse and his lady. We 
took stage to Buffalo, and were wheeled rapidly through 
the country, and arrived at Batavia, the afternoon of the 
4th of July ; where, not to be wanting in patriotism, we 
had a bottle of champagne to drink a toast on the 
occasion. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 237 

Lake navifiation was still held in so much fear and 
detestation by those living away from the inland waters, 
that the judge and myself could not induce our "better 
halves" to venture cheerfully on the steam boat, so we 
continued through by land, in the stage coach. He and 
I visited Toledo, then beginning to attract public atten- 
tion ; we also visited Perrysburgh, and thence up the 
Maumee river, to the head of the rapids. The country 
was new, and the greater part of the way up the river 
was uncultivated. The Ottowa Indians were then on 
their reservation, where a missionary station had been 
for several years established ; but the Indians were a 
poor squalid, degenerated race, given to nearly all the 
vices of the native population, where they are brought 
in contact with the border settlements of the whites. 

As we went up the river on the northerly side, we 
passed over the battle ground where Gen. Wayne, in 
August, 1794, so signally defeated the savages, and 
restored peace to the western frontier. Pie and his 
army came from the Ohio river at or near Cincinnati, 
and after striking the Auglaise, descended it to its 
junction with the St. Mary, thence down that river to 
Fort Wayne, from which place he descended the 
Maumee, intending to fight the Indians wherever he 
could find them. His army was composed of a few 
regular troops, and the residue were volunteers, many 
of them from Kentucky. They had performed a long 
march through the wilderness, and had suffered much. 
Many of the volunteers were in buckskin breeches and 
shirts, and had been so long exposed to the weather, 
that their dresses had become greasy and dirty, and 
were nearly black. The Indians had many white men 
among them ; some were old tories ; others were from 
Canada; and some were said to be English ofHcers. 



238 REMINISCENCES 

They posted themselves where the land rises and forms 
quite a hill, or ascent, making a steep bluff where it 
approaches the river. This hill was covered with 
brush and forest trees, the path or trail running through 
them. The left of the Indian hne was on the river, 
and this line extended back a considerable distance 
into the forest. Wayne had his spies, and not only 
ascertained their position, but that the Indians intended 
to make a stand. He determined to fight at once, and 
to surprise them with the promptness of his attack, and 
celerity of his movements. Dividing his forces, he sent 
a detachment under his second in command, to his left, 
who were to march westerly into the forest, and turn 
the right flank of the Indians, while he with the residue 
attacked them by a forward movement, in the thicket. 
He had a small cavalry force, of which Gen. Solomon 
Van Rensselaer was a cornet. Part of these were 
directed to ride into and down the river, with a view of 
turning the Indian left, and either cut off their retreat, 
or be ready to pursue when driven from their position. 
The bottom of the river along the battle ground is a 
smooth lime rock, with occasional fissures, over which 
the water flows rapidly, but is not deep at that season 
of the year. I have frequently ridden over this rocky 
bottom. 

Having perfected his arrangements, the attack was 
made with great vigor. The detachment sent to the 
'left had alarmed the Indian right, and out-flanking it, 
had nearly got in the rear of the right, which forced the 
Indians to fall back, and crowd towards the left, so that 
the bulk of their warriors before the battle was over, 
were mixed in and supported those who attempted to 
resist Wayne. The Kentuckians in his division, with 
characteristic ardor, rushed up the hill into the thicket, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 239 

where being received by a close and deadly fire they 
were roughly handled : but the main force supporting 
them, and all pressing forward, the Indians were soon 
forced back, but continued the fight from tree to tree, to 
the opposite side of the hill, where the bluff descends 
north east down the river. At the foot of this hill, on 
the north easterly side, a few rods from the river, was 
quite a large rock, since known as " turkey-foot rock," 
behind which the Indian chief, " Turkey-foot," stationed 
himself, when the Indians attempted to make their last 
stand. He bravely maintained his position, and was 
killed there, falling forward upon the rock when he was 
shot. On this was afterwards roughly engraved or 
chiselled out, the foot of a turkey, emblematic of the 
chief. It has lately been rolled out of the road, and 
lies by the wayside as you descend the hill coming 
down the river. While the Indians remained on the 
reservation, they always reverenced this rock, and 
would place on it tobacco, and pour on it whiskey, for 
the spirit of the deceased warrior, for whose untimely 
fate they mourned with great apparent sincerity. I 
I have often seen those offerings of tobacco remaining 
where they had been placed. The Indians on being 
routed gave up all for lost, and retreated down the 
river, closely pursued by the victorious and incen- 
sed Americans. Many attempted to cross over and 
some were forced into it where it was too deep to ford, 
and were drowned. They hoped to be received into 
Fort Miami, at the foot of the rapids, then in possession 
of the British; but Wayne informed the English officer 
that if the fort was opened, or aid or protectioii given 
to the savages, he would storm it and put every man 
to the sword. He was just the man to do it, for he 
stormed Stoney Point, during the revolution; and there 



240 , REMINISCENCES 

was nothing short of the infernal regions that he would 
not storm, if duty required it. His announcement had 
the desired effect on the garrison, for the gates were kept 
closed against the poor Indians; and Wayne, as if to 
tantalize and provoke the English officer to fire on him, 
thereby giving a pretence for taking the fort, passed 
leisurely in his canoe under its guns, closely observing 
its means of defence, and its assailable points. 

The Indians being excluded, dispersed and dis- 
heartened, made no further resistance, but sued for 
peace. Their crops and many huts were destroyed, 
and the defeat was overwhelmingly calamituous. The 
treaty at Greenville finally settled those difficulties. 

Those laro'e oak trees, where the brunt of the battle 
raged, many of which are still standing, show by nu- 
merous scars where bullets have been cut out, the 
fierceness of the contest. I have hardly ever passed 
over that battle ground without seeing an eagle perched 
on one of those large trees, as if exulting over the result 
of the battle; while on the rocks along the margin of 
the waters, numerous turkey-buzzards were often con- 
gregated, as if still searching for the remains of the 
slain, from which they desired a horrid repast. 

The ruins of old Fort Miami, are still remaining, 
and may be seen and easily traced on the river's bank, 
in the lower part of Maumee city. 

It was one of the western posts, retained by the 
British, in opposition to the treaty of 1783, and was 
given up with Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, and Mackinau, 
under Jay's treaty, in 1795. 

Gen.- Solomon Van Rensselaer was shot through the 
body, during the engagement, but retained his seat in 
his saddle, and was brought out of the action though 
severely wounded. 



BY LEVI BEARD3LEY. 241 

A few miles below Wayne's battle-field, and about 
two miles above old Fort Miami, on the opposite side 
of the river, are the remains of Fort Meigs, where 
General Harrison sustained a protracted siege in 1S13, 
and in the end repelled his assailants. The embank- 
ments and entrenchments remain, and the lines of 
defence may easily be traced. The unhealthiness of 
the position, the constant and severe services in the 
defence, and the exposure of the troops, necessarily 
subjected them to great losses ; as well from sickness, 
as from battles and casualties. 

To look at the ruins of Fort Meigs from the opposite 
side of the river, it has an elevated and formidable 
appearance ; and it was so elevated, that it could 
rather com_mand the British battery, though at a long 
shot distance. I have often been told of a daring 
exploit of a lurking Indian, who had crossed from the 
northerly side of the river, from the British camp, and 
concealed himself near Fort Meigs. A soldier came 
out of the fort in the morning, and was fired at and 
badly wounded by the Indian. The wounded man 
turned and ran for the fort, .closely pursued by the 
Indian, who struck him down with his tomahawk, 
hastily tore off his scalp, and then giving a shout of 
triumph and defiance, bounded off like a panther, amid 
a shower of musket balls fired from the fort, but from 
which he escaped unharmed. It was an almost ever}^- 
day occurrence, for Indians to climb trees within mus- 
ket-shot of the fort, and to pick off men within the 
lines. 

Nearly opposite Fort Meigs, on the northerly side 

of the river, the brave but unfortunate Col. Dudley, 

with his Kentucky detachment, were cut off, defeated, 

and nearly the whole corps killed or taken. His 

16 



242 REMINISCENCES 

detacliment, with another under General Clay, from 
Kentucky, had taken boats and descended the Mau- 
mee, to reinforce General Harrison, then besieged in 
Fort Meigs. The river being at high water, the boats 
descended the rapids with safety, and landed very 
near the head of the island ; a mile or two above the 
fort. Governor Metcalf, of Kentucky, was with the 
other detachment, and commanded a company who 
were all drest in huntino: shirts. The detachment to 
which he belonged, was directed to land on the south- 
erly side of the river, and in due time to march down 
and enter the fort; while Dudley was to land on the 
northerly side; and, after dispersing the enemy who 
were posted along that shore, was to march down the 
river, and assault the British batteries ; and after 
destroying or spiking their guns, to retreat, cross the 
river, and enter the fort. A sortie from the fort was 
to be made at the same time, against the enemy on 
the south side of the river. 

Before the boats landed, they were fired upon from 
the shore, and several soldiers were killed or wounded. 
The Kentuckians were brave, but not under strict 
discipline — eager for a fight, but rather a furious onset, 
than one conducted on strict mihtary principles. As 
soon as they landed they rushed upon the enemy, who 
fell back, skirmishing from tree to tree as they re- 
treated, and Dudley and his men hotly pursuing them. 
The battery was bravely carried; but " Kentuck" was 
not satisfied to retreat and leave the work unfinished ; 
till the adversary was thoroughly whipped. The enemy 
systematically fell back ; and in the retreat were broken 
and scattered, which necessarily broke and scattered 
their pursuers ; so that Dudley's men were drawn into 
the woods; and in almost every direction, were without 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. ' 243 

order pressing forward to fight the Indians, who showed 
themselves on the skirts of the forest. The retreat 
was a device to draw the spirited Kentuckians into an 
ambush, and to give time to bring up forces from 
Fort Miami and the main encampment. The prudent 
command to retreat as soon as the battery was taken 
and disabled, having been disregarded, this rash for- 
ward movement put everything at hazard. 

Col. Dudley did all he could to repress the ardour 
of his troops, and to arrest their pursuit of the retreating 
party. He ordered a halt and retreat ; and tried to 
stay the pursuit of his men by presenting his espontoon, 
with a view of enforcing his order, and of compelling 
them to fall back. They were entirely absorbed and 
wrapped up with the determination to see the fight 
" put through," and to " lick" their adversaries, where- 
ever they might show themselves. The terrible and 
ferocious Tecumseh was there ; and, with Indian 
cunning, lay in ambush with a greatly superior force, 
inviting and provoking the Kentuckians to enter the 
thicket, for a contest; while the British were bringing 
up their forces from below. 

The Kentuckians, broken by the pursuit, were 
fiushting on their '* own hook," without much order or 
command, when they were met by the enemy with aug- 
mented forces, far superior in numbers, and in compact 
order. The pursuers were first checked, then driven 
back In confusion ; and the result was a total defeat 
and the annihilation of nearly the whole detachment. 
Col. Dudley was killed ; and it is said, that after he 
was mortally wounded, he slew an Indian who ad- , 
vanced upon him to take his scalp. Governor Metcalf^ , 
and the division that landed on the southerly shore, 
repaired to the fort and assisted Gen. Harrison in its I 



244 REMINISCENCES 

defence, till the British forces retreated and the Ameri- 
cans made a forward movement. Major Oliver, who 
has recently died at Cincinnati, and whom I have 
known well for many years, was in the fort, and 
greatly distinguished himself by his gallant conduct, 
particularly in stealing at night through the enemy's 
camp, and going thirty miles through the woods, to 
hurry forward reinforcements and provision. 

Almost every American reader must know who 
Governor Metcalf is. His services in congress, as 
well as in the United States senate, to say nothing of 
those at home, render him familiar to every one ac- 
quainted with our political affairs. Nearly thirty 5^ears 
ago, while he was a member of the house of represen- 
tatives, he was challenged by Mr. ISIc Duffie, of South 
Carolina, for some remarks in debate. 

The Governor was not a duelhst; but he knew that 
no representative of Kentucky could retain the con- 
fidence of his constituents, if he declined. Public 
sentiment in his own, as well as many other states, 
would not then brook a refusal. He accordingly 
promptly accepted ; and being the challenged person, 
had a right to name his weapon. He made no preten- 
sions to skill as a rifleman; but knowing that his 
countrymen were proverbially celebrated for their 
achievements with this formidable weapon, he named 
it as the arbiter to adjust the question. General Mc 
Duffie had previously been badly wounded and dis- 
abled, in a duel with Col. Cummings, which in the 
end, and recently too, has probably hastened his death. 
His second objected to the rifle ; on the ground that 
the contest would be unequal, from the inability of 
Mr. Mc Duffie to wield it, owing to his having been 
disabled. This was freely admitted by Governor Met- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 245 

calf, who, to obviate the objection, proposed that Mr. 
Mc Duffie should shoot at "a rest." The result was 
a withdrawal of the challenge, and an amicable ad- 
justment, highly creditable to both parties. * 

Should these pages ever reach the Governor's eye, 
I beg him to excuse me for the use I have made 
of his name, and for an anecdote told of him in Ohio, 
too good to keep, which I am about to relate. The 
Governor was an old fashioned war democrat, though 
latterly a whig, as many of the great men of Kentucky 
are, and in 1840 felt a warm interest in the success of 
his old commander, Gen. Harrison. 

At home and in Ohio he is known by the cognomen 
of" Old sledge hammer," so it was thought he could be 
useful in Ohio, and they sent for him to "stump it" 
through a portion of the state, and address the buck-eyes. 
He was quartered at a village inn, and was to attend 
a public gathering in the evening, some distance from 
his stopping place. The landlord, who was also a 
politician, was to attend and address a meeting in 
another direction, but before leaving home took the 
governor to a sleeping room, in which were several beds, 
and pointed out the particular one that would be re- 
served for him, directing him to go in and take possess- 
ion should he return before his host. 

It turned out that before leaving home, the landlord 
had informed the black woman, who had charge of the 
room, that Gov. Metcalf, of Kentucky, would be there 
to sleep, and that the bed must be reserved for him. 

During that political campaign, it was deemed ne- 
cessary not only to drink hard cider, and eat corn bread, 
and build log cabins, but the speakers must be in 
appropriate costume. As the governor had served 
under Gen. Harrison, where he had met and associated 



246 REMINISCENCES 

with many and nearly all the old leading men of the 
Buck-eye state, it was thought advisable that he should 
appear among them with his old hunting shirt, just as 
he appeared at Fort Meigs, and he was requested to 
bring the identical indomitable shirt with him ; all of 
which he of course complied with. Disguised in this 
outer garment, he went and addressed the meeting, 
with fine effect, and received unbounded applause. 
Though a tall, dignified, good-looking man, 1 have no 
doubt, that in his old rifle shirt, he appeared very rough 
and uncouth; not very unlike a western wagoner in his 
frock. Returning before his host, he went to the room 
that had been pointed out to him, and began to undress, 
to take possession of the bed that had been designated 
for his reception. At this interesting moment, the old 
female darkie appeared, and interposed her peremp- 
tory objections. The governor remarked that he thought 
that room, and that bed had been pointed out to him ; 
but he might have mistaken the room. She replied in 
good round broken negro, that it could not be his, for 
she was directed to reserve it for another. The gover- 
nor said he had been shown a room and a bed, and he 
thought this was the one, though he might be mistaken 
as he was a stranger in the house. Her reply was sub- 
stantially "You can't come dat ober dis darkie, and 
must find anoder place." Not wishing to discuss or 
contest the question with the ebony amazon, he retired to 
an adjoining room filled with beds, but all occupied; 
and there turning down a chair, on which to rest his 
head, he slept on the floor during the night. Sometime 
afterwards the host came home, and enquired of the 
darkie, whether the governor had returned ? She 
answered, "no!" that no one but a rough looking, ill- 
dressed man, who she thought was a teamster or 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 247 

butcher, had been there, who wanted the spare bed, 
but she had driven him into the other room, and had 
kept it for the governor, who she had no doubt would 
be along soon. The host said she was probably mis- 
taken, and that she had driven the governor from his 
bed, for he was then strongly impressed with the belief 
that he was the rou2;h old huntinsf-shirted gentleman. 
She persisted in saying that she knew the man she re- 
pulsed was no governor or gentleman; but the mystery 
was unravelled when he made his appearance in the 
morning. 

In 1844, I met him at Columbus, Ohio, where each 
of us addressed a large audience the same evening, in 
favor of the election of Mr. Clay, for whose election 
the governor labored faithfully and efficiently, both in 
his own and other states. Ohio was carried beautifully 
for Mr. Clay, but New York faltered, and hence the 
success of Mr. Polk. 

A few miles above Fort Meigs, at Bear Rapids, on 
the Maumee, the Ottowa Indians had a burying place 
on a farm of which I was part owner. It was in an 
old corn field, and as long as I owned it the graves were 
protected. The Indian mode was to place over the 
grave a covering of bark. The}"- cut small timbers and 
laid them parallel with the grave, with cross pieces at 
head and foot, laying it up log-cabin fashion, and 
narrowing it at the top. Over this log-work was 
placed the bark, making a roof, which was kept in 
place by laying on it small poles to press it down. At 
the head, between the cross pieces, was always notched 
out a loop-hole, to enable the spirit of the deceased to 
have free egress and ingress from the resting place of 
the bod}"- to this "breathing world," and thence back 
again to the charnel house. Those rude monuments are 



248 REMINISCENCES 

however, fast passing away, and must be entirely 
eradicated within a few years. 

Melancholy reflections rush on the mind, which we 
can neither put aside or suppress, when we dwell on the 
fate of the red men who once possessed this continent, 
and have now nearly disappeared, except in the reces- 
ses of the vast west. 

Before another century passes away, the wild men 
of our country will be regarded as beings that once 
were, but now are not. History will speak of them 
as of the past. The canvas may represent them in 
their rude costume ; and the fine arts perpetuate their 
memories, and transmit them to posterity. Civilization, 
in its onward course, marches over the hut and the 
grave of the savage, erasing all visible objects of the 
past ; so that neither his works or his monuments 
remain, to tell where he revelled while living, or 
where he rests when dead. 

It is to be hoped that a remnant, at least, may be 
saved from the general wreck, which can only be 
effected by adopting the modes and habits of civilized 
life. The Cherokees, the Choctaws, the Senecas, and 
other civilized or partially civilized tribes, afford reason 
to hope that the race will not become extinct ; but if 
perpetuated at all, it must be by abandoning the savage 
for the civilized state. The fate of the savages of 
New England and New York, and in short nearly all 
the old states, but too clearly indicates what is to be 
the fate of those who reject civilization. 

The Wyandots were the last of the race in Ohio. 
I had frequently passed over their reservation, and 
stopped over night among them. Several half-breeds 
of my acquaintance were shrewd, intelligent, and 
respectable ; but the great body of the people had but 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 249 

partially advanced beyond the first rudiments of civi- 
lized life. 

Soon after their removal, I passed on horseback 
through their deserted grounds ; where their log-houses 
were generally untenanted, though their booths were 
standing, as were the rude fixtures where their food 
had been cooked ; for the camp fires were scarcely 
extinguished, but the " poor Indians" were gone. 
Passing again, and at no distant period of time, the 
white man was there, numerous dwellings had been 
erected, a county seat established ; and now a smart 
village and well-cultivated fields, cover what was 
formerly the Indian village of "Upper Sandusky." 

At this visit I met one of the half breeds of my 
acquaintance, who had come back to his old residence, 
from the new home of the tribe far up the Missouri. 
He came on with me to the city of New York, where 
we stopped for a few days together. He was a 
merchant, and was purchasing an assortment to take 
with him to his countrymen at the west. The accounts 
he gave of them, and of their prospects of success, 
were by no means encouraging. He played a good 
game of whist, was gentlemanly and social, and on the 
whole an agreeable travelling companion. 



250 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XV. 

Visit Upper Lakes, 1836. — Jolin B. Macy, esq., and Hon. R. 
J. Walker. — Reckless Speculations and Suhseqiient Em- 
barrassments. — Rapid Groioth of Cities, and Settlement 
of the Country. — Frohahle GrowtJi and Importance of 
Toledo. — Indian Dance. — Chicago in 1836, and 1847. 
— Its Convention. — Visit Sault St. Marie. — Descend the 
Rapids in Barh Canoe. — Incidents and Anecdotes. 

In the summer of 1836, a year long to be remembered 
for inflated prices and blasted hopes, I went again to 
the west. Taking the steamer, Thomas Jefferson, 
at Buffalo, on which was embarked an immense crowd 
of passengers, who of course that year, were furnished 
with all the substantial and luxuries that could be pro- 
cured; we passed up Lake Erie, stopping at interme- 
diate ports between Buffalo, Toledo, and Detroit. 
Among other passengers was John B. Macy, esq., then 
of Buflalo, who had very much the control of the boat 
en its passage, and who gave free tickets to many of 
those on board. 

Mr. Macy was an active, business man, engaged m 
forwarding on the lakes and canals; and although 
he has since met with adverse fortunes enough to dis- 
courage most men, yet he never falters or despairs of 
ultimate success. He is now one of the most active 
and energetic men of my acquaintance, liberal in his 
views, always devoted to projects calculated to develope 
the resources of the country, and improve its condition ; 
and will do anything reasonable to serve a friend or 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 251 

promote his interest. He is popular and well-informed, 
of excellent address, and admirably qualified to secure 
the success of any project he takes in hand. At pre- 
sent he is the principal agent in constructing a railroad 
from his residence at Fond du lac, in Wisconsin, to 
Janesville, on the Rock river, and thence to Chicago: 
and having overcome obstacles, which to almost any 
other man would have appeared insurmountable, has 
now placed the affairs of the road on such a basis that 
its success is no longer doubtful. 

His position is a proud one, for he has the confidence 
and esteem of all parties in his own vicinity, and 
throughout that part of his state, as well as the whole 
extent of the road. There is another gratifying cir- 
cumstance; and that is, in reference to his pecuniary 
affairs, which after many losses and adverse circum- 
stances, I believe are now on a substantial basis, that 
will render him and his estimable family comfortable, 
and comparatively speaking, independent through 
life. He is a democrat of the old school ; but liberal in 
his views, and without a particle of bitter or proscriptive 
feeling. For several years he has been on intimate and 
confidential terms with Hon. Robert J. Walker, the late 
accomplished and deservedly popular secretary of the 
treasury. ' 

Mr. Macy regards him, as he undoubtedly is, one 
of the great men of the nation, who at no distant day, 
may be called to the highest position in the gift of the 
country; and I will venture the remark, that if the 
democratic or any other party shall be so fortunate as 
to select him, or men equally worthy, the liberties of the 
country will be safe, its interests promoted, and its 
commerce extended ; while its honor will be scrupu- 
lously regarded and maintained. 



252 REMINISCENCES 

I have reason to believe that Mr. Walker, shrewd 
as he is, and well qualified to judge of naen and their 
worth, and capacity for business, has formed the same 
favorable opinion of Mr. Macy, that I have indicated. 
Should Mr. M. consent to enter the pohtical arena, in- 
stead of devoting himself to the superintendence of the 
important railroad he now bas in charge, I shall expect 
to see him ere long in Congress, or in some other position 
equally honorable and responsible. I speak thus favor- 
ably, because I have known him many years, and 
known him intimately; and in all our relations and our 
business matters, which have been many, I have found 
him honorable, liberal, and upright. But it is time to 
quit this personal digression, and return to our lake 
pass&ge, in 1SS6. In that memorable year every one 
was imbued with a reckless spirit for speculation. The 
mania, for such it undoubtedly was, did not confine 
itself to one particular class, but extended to all. Even 
the reverend clergy doffed their sacerdotals, and eagerly 
entered into competition with mammon's votaries, for 
the acquisition of this world's goods, and tested their 
sagacity against the shrewdness and more practised 
skill of the professed sharper. 

All felt rich and in fine spirits that year, and hence 
inordinate quantities of champaigne, and other fashion- 
ble exhilirators were deemed indispensable to make 
buying and selling go on with alacrity. 

On reaching Toledo, we found the villagers assem- 
bled to celebrate, in a suitable manner, the adjustment 
of the disputed boundary, between Ohio and Michigan. 
Judge Potter was to deliver an oration, and then a pub- 
lic dinner was to come off, of which many of us 
partook, and joined in the festivities. 

FromToledo we went to Detroit, where I attended 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 253 

the celebration of the fourth of July, and became 
acquainted with Gov. INIason. 

jNIany of us decided on going to Chicago, by the 
Straits of Mackinau, which was then thought quite an 
achievement, and a noveky to most of us. 

As we went round the lakes we had several adven- 
tures that I noted down at the time, but the manuscript 
is now lost. Those on board the boat were intent on 
speculations, and were enquiring prices and making 
bargains, not only at points where the boat stopped, 
but continually were buying and selling on board, as 
the boat traversed the lakes. Towns had been laid 
out at every imaginable point ; splendid lithographic 
maps had been prepared and were exhibited, and the 
most extravagant prices demanded and given. Money 
was abundant this 5'ear, and everybody had credit to 
get it. The whole country seemed to be in motion ; 
and most extravagant anticipations prevailed in regard 
to the settlement of the countr}^ and the rapid growth 
of towns on the margin of the lakes. Just in propor- 
tion to these high expectations, were the prices of 
village and city lots enhanced ; and as almost every- 
body desired to purchase, the sellers soon became rich 
as Nabobs, on paper: but when a change, in 1837, 
" came o'er the spirit of their dreams," debtors were 
unable to pay ; and creditors who relied on these 
payments, and on the strength of them had made 
other engagements — nearly the whole list of creditors 
and debtors went down with one general crash, and 
bankruptcy became the fate of most of them. 

No doubt settlements would have gone on with 
great rapidity, and would have enhanced the value of 
agricultural lands, and town and city property, had it 
not been for the revulsions of 1837 and '8, and the 
embarrassments that followed them for several years : 



254 REMINISCENCES 

but no state of affairs could justify sucli high prices, 
and such numerous contracts, as grew out of the sale 
of town lots. The obligations were too heavy, and the 
town lots too numerous, and very many of them alto- 
gether worthless. 

High as the prices were, many of those cit}'^ plats 
would have done much to save the purchasers from ruin, 
had not the embarrassments of a few years checked the 
settlement of the country and the building up of cities. 
The tendency of those embarrassments was, to depress 
the value of that kind of property, and did depress it 
much below its actual value; so that before the towns 
began to start vigorously, the owners were ruined. 
Then, as those embarrassments were overcome, and 
the farming portions rapidly filled up with inhabitants, 
such cities as Chicago, Milwaukie, and others on the 
lake shores, began to rise ; and improvements and 
rapid growth followed to such an extent, as almost to 
justify those former extravagant prices. To look at 
those cities, and in fact the whole of Wisconsin, as 
well as other portions of the west, the increase has 
been such as to startle the incredulous, and almost 
exclude belief on the part of those most sanguine in 
their temperaments. 

No one of those western cities has so disappointed 
me in its growth as Toledo. Fourteen years ago, in 
my estimates of the probable building up of cities on 
the lakes, 1 used to think that within a few years 
Toledo would surpass Cleveland and Detroit; and 
that after Buffalo, it would be necessary to go to 
Chicago, to find a rival to what Toledo was to be 
ultimately. I am by no means certain but I was then 
right, and that a few years will see something hke an 
approximation to those anticipations. 

Toledo has had a bad character in regard to health, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 2-55 

which has had a pernicious inflilence ; but this is in 
a great measure overcome, and no doubt will be 
entirely, when the country is cleared up and cultivated. 
With a canal, crossing the state to the Ohio river at 
Cincinnati, through the fine Miami country, and then 
another up the Maumee, and down the Wabash valley 
to the Ohio, thus making Toledo the outlet for the 
unsurpassed agricultural districts through which these 
canals pass, it seems impossible that it^ should much 
longer be kept depressed. 

Then again, the railroads that now communicate 
■with it, and others that will soon be completed, must 
give an impulse to its growth and business ; unless 
causes that have uniformly built up other cities, shall 
fail of producing like results in this. A few years will 
indicate the chances of its future progress ; and to time, 
the enterprise of its citizens, and the influx of business, 
that result must be left. But to return asrain to our 
excursion : 

On passing Mackinau, we ran over to the mainland, 
near Point Ignatius, where the boat lay-to for firewoood. 
The passengers generally, left it and rambled along 
the shore and in the adjoining woods, for several hours. 
An immense number of Indians were there, who had 
congregated to receive their annual payments and 
presents, whose slight tents and shelters, many of them 
of bark only, were stretched along the beach for two 
miles. They had with them great numbers of bark 
canoes. With several companions, I had walked down 
the beach nearly two miles, looking at the Indians ; 
and in the course of the excursion, had shot at a mark 
with some of them who had a rifle. Mr. Carroll, of 
Washington city, brother of Hon. Charles H. Carroll, 
I recollect was with me. We met several Indians 



256 REMINISCENCES 

who were gaily adorned and painted, hurrying along 
towards the steamer; and were at last informed, that 
they were going to have a dance on board. Wishing 
to be present to see the performance, we engaged an 
old lazy Indian and his squaw, to take us in his bark 
canoe and paddle us to the boat. He was lying in his 
tent, and was little inclined to go, till the offer we 
made the squaw, induced her to persuade him to 
accompany us. 

The canoe was large, and eighteen or twenty of 
us got in ; and then two or three papooses cried to go 
with us, and were taken on board. Next two dogs 
came crowding along, looking as if they were half- 
wolves ; but they were excluded, and trudged along 
shore towards the steamer, howling and yelping occa- 
sionally, for not being allowed to come into the canoe. 

Arriving at the boat, we found a large number of 
Indians on board, ready for the dance; nearly all of 
them naked, except their breech-cloth. Their faces 
were painted with rich stripes of vermillion and lines 
of black ; and one of the varlets had one side of his 
face altogether black, the other deep red. Round their 
ankles they had their deer-hoof rattles. Some had 
ornamental feathers in their hair: others had girdles or 
straps round their waists, to which were fastened birds 
and squirrels, that dangled on their rumps as they 
danced. One, to be more highly ornamental, had a 
horse's tail so fastened under his girdle, and hanging 
down behind, as to look as if it was his own natural 
appendage. Two or three of the party had small 
drums, on which they beat time with sticks ; and one 
of the dancers had contrived to fasten the pate and 
horns of the buffalo on his head, so that he was a Iwo- 
legged animal actually sporting a pair of horns. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 257 

A great variety of Indian dances were performed, 
accompanied with the usual guttural sound, and fre- 
quent whoops and yells. An Indian, though active, is 
an awkward dancer. I never saw one who had the 
least grace of motion. His contortions are strained, 
unnatural, and painful ; and besides these, his dance 
consists of little else than a monotonous stamp and 
tread, conforming to the beating on his rude drum ; 
the rattles making a continual noise, intermixed with 
his measured intonations shouts and yells. An Indian 
walks well, and runs beautifully in the woods, but 
there is no grace or beauty in his dance. The old 
Indian that paddled us up to the steamer, looked on 
with profound interest for a considerable time, when 
the excitement became so high, and the temptation too 
strong to be resisted, and then he joined in it, with 
great glee and apparent satisfaction. A collection was 
taken up among the passengers, which was a liberal 
one ; and the avails were divided into parcels, agreeably 
to Indian rules, by one or two of their leaders. One 
of the party attempted to cheat, by concealing a piece 
of money, which was taken from him, and he kicked 
out of the company, with disgrace. The Indians left 
us with kind feelings, and the boat being put under 
way, ran for Green Bay, passing among those fairy- 
like islands. On reaching the wharf, one of our party, 
who I frequently meet in New York, fell from the boat 
in deep water, but was rescued unharmed except a 
good ducking. 

Returning from the bay, after setting an interloper 
onshore in the woods, we ran along the western shore to 
Milwaukie, (then scarcely commenced) and thence to 
Chicago, where there was but little except the old 
garrison house, a few new buildings completed, and 
17 



25S EEMINISCENCES 

Others begun. This or the preceeding year may be 
regarded as the commencement of a city now number- 
ing 30,000 inhabitants. The few buildings there, were 
much crowded, and fare at the public houses exces- 
sively high. It was difficult to get a place to sleep. 
The night I was there I slept at the " Lake House," in 
an unfinished room, where there were plenty of shavings, 
so, throwing a buffalo skin on them, T slept comfortabl}'. 
For town lots, they asked prices far beyond my 
estimate or comprehension ; and I would "have none 
of them." 

My oldest son was with me ; and we crossed the 
lake from Chicago to St. Joseph, and thence by stage 
wagons to Detroit ; a most uncomfortable mode of tra- 
velling, as the roads then were. For the next ten years, 
I passed over Lakes Ontario and Erie in almost every 
direction, and in almost all kinds of weather, more or 
less every year; but did not go again to Chicago till 
the summer of 1847, when I went as a delegate from 
the' city of New York, to the river and harbour con- 
vention. What a change had been wrought within 
that ten years ! Chicago was no longer a city merely 
on paper, with a few poor sparse buildings ; but had 
become a substantial city, abounding with commerce, 
and a thrifty, industrious population of more than 
twenty thousand. 

Such are the benign influences of our political 
institutions, that from an influx of foreign as well as 
our native citizens, the last four years have added to 
the wealth, the business, and the population of this 
city, a ratio of increase much beyond previous years '^ 
and its prosperity and onward course appear now 
permanently established for many years to come. 

The convention having completed its labours, many 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 259 

of US who were members took passage on board the 
steamer St. Louis, for a pleasure trip to the Sault St. 
Marie. More than two hundred I should think were 
on board, and a fine enterprising jolly set they were. 

I have now before me a letter, written by me on 
board the St. Louis, while on Lake Huron, dated July 
14th, 1847 ; giving some of the incidents of our excur- 
sion, a portion of which is here transcribed. 

" Among our passengers were many from Ohio — 
Gov. Corwin, Gov. Bebb, Messrs. Schenck, Phillips, 
and others. A large representation from Pittsburgh, 
twelve from St. Louis; Thomas Butler King, of Georgia, 
some from Indiana, Illinois, &c. ; many from New 
York, and in fact from ' everywhere.' 

" Touching at Southport, Racine, Milwaukie, &c. 
we proceeded north, to the ' death-door' passage, 
through which we entered Green Ba}'', among the 
beautiful islands ; and thence easterly to the ' Manitou' 
Island. On arriving at Mackinau, a large proportion 
of ladies and gentlemen went ashore, and spent the 
day on the island, where they had a pic nic and dance ; 
ran foot races ; with other amusements, indicating 
much hilarity and fine flow of feeling, when they came 
on board. Champagne had been liberally sent on 
shore from the boat, which no doubt contributed to the 
gaiety of the occasion. 

"About twenty of us remained on board, intending 
to go sixteen miles to the mainland, northwest of Macki- 
nau, passing on its southerly side going, and on its 
northerly returning; so that we sailed round the island. 
The object of the excursion was to fish for speckled 
trout, in a stream known as ' carp river.' We were 
put ashore in the yawl, properly prepared with hooks 
and lines, to take any trout that would condescend to 



260 REMINISCENCES 

give us a nibble. To do the work successfully, and 
with scientific skill, it was necessary to wade the river, 
a course which George W. Clinton, J. L. Barton, and 
others who professed more science than I did, and 
were far more enthusiastic, adopted ; and were of 
course both wet and muddy. 

*' I sported from the shore, and thus avoided getting 
wet: but take the party together, I suppose a more 
forlorn, seedy, and graceless-looking group was never 
seen. The weather was hot, and the sun shone with 
uncommon lustre and power. The mosquitoes were 
enormously large, thick, and hungry, and determined 
to have their share of the sport. Being sharp biters, 
they drew blood wherever they perched themselves : 
and I am sure I do not enlarge in saying, that some of 
the party had more than fifty stings and blotches in 
their faces, where blood was drawn ; to say nothing of 
their hands and ears. We took about two hundred 
trout, and returned to Mackinau, from whence, on the 
assembling of the passengers, we expected to start that 
evening for the Sault, to arrive there the next morning; 
but the boat did not get off till Sunday morning. 

" We had a New England clergyman on board, who 
preached to those who went in the cabin to hear him ; 
but as his services commenced just as we were going 
out of Lake Huron, into the bays and river leading up 
to the Sault, where every thing was new to us, several 
kept aloof, preferring to remain on deck, and view the 
beautiful scenery they had come so far to see. 

" They regarded it as not in good taste to volunteer a 
sermon at this particular time and place, however well 
intended. I have passed down Lake Ontario, among 
the Galloes, and the St. Lawrence, among the Thou- 
sand Islands, so through Lake Erie, and Green Bay, 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 261 

where the islands are beautiful and enchanting, yet 
have I never beheld scenery and views so picturesque 
as the water, and islands, and headlands present, as you 
go towards the Sault. A large proportion of the inhab- 
itants of Sault St. Marie, were half breeds, and on 
arriving there we found the public houses thronged and 
crowded to overflowinsf. We were to remain there the 

O 

next day; and our party amused themselves, some by 
loitering about the town, others strolling up the river 
above the rapids to the schooners, that run to the cop- 
per mines, on Lake Superior. 

" The weather was excessively hot, thermometer 
ranging at ninety-seven. Judge Stevens, of Buffalo, 
Mr. Wakefield, of Ohio, and myself, wishing lo fish for 
trout, hired an Indian, (George,) to take us in his bark 
canoe, and paddle us across the river, nearly a mile 
wide, and then to keep us in rapid water where the 
trout were to be found. He was introduced to us as a 
faithful fellow, who knew where to find the fish, and 
who would manage his canoe with perfect safety. 

" He had a boy seated in the stern, who with his pad- 
dle assisted in steering and moving us about. To give 
a specimen of his skill, George struck across the river, 
just at the foot of the rapids, so near that the rough 
water as it pitched and tumbled, danced our canoe 
about right merrily, occasionally taking in a little water 
that dashed over its sides. As we fished among the 
breakers. George and his boy kept forcing the canoe 
up the rapids on the north side, through the creeks that 
came down parallel with the main river, from the 
capacious estuary above, so that at last we reached the 
level of Lake Superior, having ascended twenty-three 
t'eet. The bed of the river is full of rocks, some above 
water and others just beneath, with thousands of them 



262 REMINISCENCES 

scattered from one side to the other, nearly a mile in 
xvidth, and at least a mile down to still water. Over 
and among these the water rushes and tumbles in the 
"wildest confusion, shooting off in every direction, in 
currents and eddies very much like the rapids above 
Niagara, the whole channel appearing white with the 
suro'lno; element. We were at the smooth water some 
way above, and proposed to George to set us over from 
the Canadian to the other side. He thought the wind 
blew too much down the river to cross over, unless we 
went further up, where it would be much wider. He 
proposed to run us down the main river, which he said 
he could do with safety ; that by keeping out of the 
creeks, and keeping near the Canadian shore, we should 
find plenty of water, and thus avoid breaking the canoe 
upon the rocks. That he had been familiar with the 
river for twenty years ; had run the rapids often, and 
never upset his canoe ; and though we were one and a 
quarter mile from the foot, he could run it in five or six 
minutes. 

" We remarked that three men had been drowned 
there a few days before, andtheirboat dashed to pieces, 
and there must be danger. He said the boat was over- 
loaded, and the sailors who navigated it knew nothing 
about running the rapids, and nothing better could be 
expected. 

" On crossing the river in the morning, I had a strong 
desire to run the rapids, as an amateur; but before 
reaching the still water above, and seeing how many 
rocks there were, and how rapid the current ran, this 
desire abated, and I preferred passing over, instead of 
running down. 

" George reasoned all fear out of us, and we con- 
cluded to let him do as he pleased . He told us to sit down 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 263 

in the canoe and remain steady, without stirring, and 

then asked us to look at our watches, to see how Ioog; he 

• 
would be in going his mile and a quarter. After we had 

got ready for the descent, we offered George some gin 

and water, of which he partook; and on asking him if 

we should give some to the boy, he shook his head, and 

said 'No, the bo}' is good enough boy without gin.' 

On starting, I remarked to my companions, that if we 

should get drowned so soon after three others had met 

with that fate, no one would give us any credit for 

it, but would set us down as fools at least, if nothing 

worse. 

"We descended with race-horse speed, the canoe 
gliding down the rapids with the velocity of an arrow, 
and safely bearing us to the foot of them in about five 
minutes. 

" It is surprising to see with what skill an Indian 
manages his canoe. He sits in the prow to steer it, and 
puts the paddle in the water near the forward end, at 
its side. The race down the river was of course ex- 
citing, and as we had made it with safety, it seemed to 
pay for all the trouble we had incurred, and the risk 
we had run. The canoe would seem to be running 
into an immense heap or surge of water, as if it was 
going to enter it ten feet below the top ; or would be 
apparently about to run upon a rock that threatened to 
dash it in pieces, when George, by a little pull or 
push with his paddle would steer clear of the apparent 
danger, almost but not quite touching it. Many of the 
passengers from the other side of the river saw and 
admired the velocity of our descent. One of them, a 
sober, sedate citizen, with much assumed gravity, took 
us to task for running such an unnecessary risk, which 
probably by the example, as he said, would induce 



264 REMINISCENCES 

Others to run and lose their Hves. He remarked that no 
one had a right to sport with his life by such risks, for- 
getting that the rapids had been run in canoes for a 
hundred j-^ears with comparatively iew accidents. 

"Many ladies were on board the boat, and dancing 
parties were got up almost every evening. Among 
some of the gentlemen all kinds of fun, frolic, joking, 
swearing, playing, and drinking, was constantly going 
on. Among the Missourians was Doctor S. of St. 
Louis, who gave us infinite amusement. He left us 
yesterday for Mackinau, to return home by Chicago. 
He is a man of wit and humor, rather smart, and of 
great colloquial powers. He kept his copper hot all the 
time he was with us. On one occasion he took a 
copious draft of cold water, when one of his associates, 
who is editor of the St. Louis Revielle, remarked that 
the water would ' be a d d surprise to his sto- 
mach ;' another replied, ' if it was not to his stomach, 
his stomach would be to the water;' and a third said, 
* listen, and hear him condense the water into steam.' 

" Bloomer, the accomplished steward of the boat, 
gave me a memorandum of the stores put on hoard for 
the trip, which to those not acquainted with the abun- 
dant supplies provided in those large upper lake boats, 
would excite wonder and surprise : but as I have 
already extended this article to too great a length, the 
stores must be omitted, though if stated at large they 
could not but interest all amateurs who delight in 
' creature comforts.' " 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 265 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Election to tJie Senate. — Centennial eel eiration, Feb. 22, 1832. 
— First breaking out of Cholera, — Great alarm. — Court 
for Correction of Errors meet in New York. — Death of 
William H. Maynard. — Slight attach of Cholera. — 
Several Legislative Incidents. — Introduction and passage 
of Bill to replenish General Fund hy Loans from Canal 
Revenue. — Opposition of City of New Yorh to Canals. — 
Chenango Canal. — Black River and Genesee Valley 
Canals. — Erro?ieous Estiniates of Engineers. — Report in 
favor of Black River Canal. — " Stand stilT* Policy. — 
Report of Samuel B. Ruggles. — Criticism on that Report. 
— Canal Policy sustained hy Western New York from 
beginning. — Criticism on Judge Hammond's opinion in 
regard to State Debt. 

In 1829 1 was elected to the senate for four years ; my 
first session commencing January 1st, 1830. The 
autumn of 1834 I was re-elected, and served four 
years more ; just four years too long, for I ought not to 
have gone back a second time. The last year of my 
service I was elected president of the senate, by a 
nearly unanimous vote ; which position I held till my 
term of service expired. During my first term, (Feb. 
22nd, 1832) we had a centennial celebration of Wash- 
ington's birthday: the two houses, by concurrent reso- 
lution, uniting with the city authorities and citizens 
generally, to pay respect to the cla}^ and.to the memory 
of the father of the country. Oran G. Otis, member 
of assembly from Saratoga county, delivered an excel- 
lent oration. I was chairman of the committee of 
arrangements, which consisted of members of both 
houses, making it a joint committee. 



266 REMINISCENCES 

In addition to the adjournment of the legislature, 
and the attendance of the members, as well as the 
state officers and governor, to hear the oration, and 
make other demonstrations of respect, a ball on a mag- 
nificent scale was got up by the citizens, of whicb-the 
joint committee of arrangements acted as managers, in 
concert with those appointed by the citizens. Hon. 
John Townsend was the chairman of the citizens' 
managers ; and they made me chairman of the whole 
board. The ball was held in the City Hall, which was 
magnificently lighted, from the first-floor up to the 
interior of the dome, with lamps of every variety of 
colour. Invitations were sent out to almost every part 
of the state ; and citizens from the country as well as 
the cities, attended in great numbers. The supper 
was excellent; and among other conceits, our host 
Drake, of the American, had a pie prepared, covered 
with a crust, on the removal of which two young 
pigeons, disengaged from their dehcate confinement, 
flew away and fluttered about the dining room. Dan- 
cing was kept up till a late hour ; or more appropriately 
speaking, not an early hour in the morning. 

It was indeed a splendid aflfair ; probably the most 
so of any that had ever come off" in Albany; and it 
will be many years before it will be surpassed. How 
many of those then redolent with life are now gone ? 
and in so short a space ! It really makes me melan- 
choly to think of it. 

The next summer the cholera made its appearance, 
while the legislature were in extra session, and such was 
the alarm that it induced hasty legislation, and a speedy 
adjournment. It is hardly possible to realize the fear 
and excitement that it produced. Many emigrants 
were coming to the city by Lake Champlain, from 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 267 

Canada, and so great was the fear, that a cordon of 
police officers, and even an armed force was proposed, 
to prevent the ingress of those coming from abroad. 

The law passed on that occasion, bears incontesti- 
ble evidence of the fear that pervaded the communit3\ 
On the close of the week before our adjournment, 
several senators went with me to the Mountain House, 
on Catskill mountains, where we spent Saturday and 
Sunday, and returned to Albany on Monday. No pains 
were spared by those at the Mountain house, to guard 
against the fearful malady, by generous living, careful 
diet, and moderate exercise. The fine bracin^ mountain 
air, had an exhilirating effect on the system, so that we 
felt renovated and quite improved by the visit. We 
amused ourselves by strolling about in the fastnesses of 
the mountain, and viewing the splendid cataract in the 
vicinity of the mountain house, over which young 
Foster, of Ulica, was recently precipitated, and strange 
to tell was not dashed in pieces. 

Among those who went to the mountain, I remember 
Hon. Trumbull Gary, of Batavia; Senator McLean, 
of Washington county ; Senator McDonald, of West- 
chester ; Hon. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge ; and some 
others. 

In the month of August, the court for correction of 
errors, was to meet in New York, where the cholera 
was still^aging, but it was necessary to go there, and 
open and adjourn the court if nothing more. Judge 
Nelson and myself, went together through Schoharie 
county to Catskill, thus avoiding Albany, where the 
disease was prevalent and fatal. 

We had a thin attendance of the members of the 
court, but a quorum appeared, and agreed to adjourn at 
once. William H. Maynaid, from Utica, one of our 



26S REMINISCENCES 

most talented members, was present. He had received 
letters in the morning advising him of the sudden 
death of several of his neighbors in Utica, which 
distressed and evidently much alarmed him. We 
stopped at the American, where we dined together the 
day that I left the city. Maynard sat next to me at 
table, and drank moderately of port wine which was 
then regarded as an antidote. I saw he was alarmed, 
and tried to cheer him up. I cannot say that I had 
personally any fears ; for I put myself in the way of 
looking at some of the subjects, as they were carried to 
the hospital. Still I felt as if it was prudent to leave the 
city, and not voluntarily ejjpose ourselves to danger. 

On leaving the American to go to the boat, May- 
nard went to the door, and shook hands with us. His 
countenance did not look right. I asked him when he 
would return home? He answered in a desponding 
tone, "probably on Thursday." That was the last 
time I saw him, as he was taken with cholera next day, 
and died a short time afterwards. 

He was a man of splendid talents, greatly beloved, 
and lamented by his associates in the senate, and by 
citizens of the state generally, and particularly his con- 
stituents. 

Senator Hubbard, of Chenango, returned with Judge 
Nelson and myself, and took breakfast with us at Cat- 
skill. We had not driven more than twelve miles, 
when he was suddenly taken ill, with all the symptoms 
of cholera. 

The Judge drove the horses, and I held Hubbard, 
and supported him in the wagon the best way I could. 
We procured and gave him medicine, and finally got 
him near Schoharie, where we intended to stop with him 
and procure medical attendance. The proprietor of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 269 

the tavern was fearful and unwilling to admit a cholera 
subject, and declined, till I told him to put him in a 
room, and lock him in, and I would remain with and 
nurse him; which I did till morning. He had a severe 
attack, and did not fully recover for a considerable 
time afterwards. 

On my return home I concluded to lake my family 
and travel with them through the southern counties to 
Chautauque. This I did with my own horses and 
carriage, making easy stages, which I thought would be 
conducive to health instead of exposing them to sick- 
ness. While stopping at Bath over Sabbath, I had a 
very severe and sudden attack, which I have no doubt 
was cholera in a modified form; which in the city 
would have been a decided case. It had all the appear- 
ances of the disease, and prostrated my strength at 
once. The physician treated me as he would a cholera 
patient, and within a few da3's I was able to resume the 
journey. 

Eight years services in the senate, where I was 
generally on one or more important committees, and 
nearly all the time chairman of one, necessarily con- 
nected me with much important legislation. For 
several sessions I was chairman of the judiciary com- 
mittee, and was a member of that committee, at other 
sessions. Sojnetimes on the canal committee, and 
committee. of finance, (ways and means.) 

My votes will be found uniformly in favour of a 
liberal system of canal and other public improvements. 
At an early day I had taken the canal side of the 
question; and in 1817, '18, '19, and '20, &c. had 
uniformly supported Mr. Clinton in that policy. 

No doubt several of my votes in the senate were 
indiscreet ; but I never doubted, and do not now doubt, 



270 REMINISCENCES 

but that our canal improvements, take them as a whole, 
are immensely beneficial to the state, in every point of 
view. And not only so in reference to business matters 
and intercommunication, but in a strict financial view 
of the question. This position I uniformly maintained 
in the senate, in opposition to daily denunciations, from 
men who should have been friends instead of opposers 
of the canals ; and who predicted ruin and bankruptcy 
to the state, for not yielding to their clamor. 

The canals have finally fought themselves, as it 
were, into favor; and the splendid annual revenue 
derived from them, establishes the position, that as a 
mere monied investment, looking only to revenue, the 
state in no way could have more profitably used its 
money or its credit ; while the enhanced value of pro- 
perty, the increase of population, and the facilities for 
markets at cheap rates, have been of incalculable bene- 
fit to the state and union. 

The principle adopted in the present state constitu- 
tion — setting apart a portion of the earnings of the 
canals, to reimburse the general fund of the state — had 
its origin in a bill that I introduced in 1835, as a sub- 
stitute for direct taxation. The bill, I think, was 
brought in on notice: I am sure without much previous 
consultation with members of the senate. 

The comptroller, Mr. Flagg, had recommended a 
direct tax, as he had done in several annual reports. 
These recommendations were seized upon by the oppo- 
nents of canals, particularly all the lateral canals then 
constructed, authorized, or asked for ; and in short, 
against all appropriations. The general fund of the 
state was represented in the senate and assembly, as 
nearly " used up," and the treasury bankrupt. It ap- 
peared to me quite obvious, that these representations 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 271 

were the ebullition of feelings against the whole canal 
policy, as I have no doubt they were with many ; 
though the canals were yielding an annual revenue 
that should have silenced these clamors. It was 
thought by many of the canal advocates, that some of 
the stale officers encouraged these vituperations ; and 
that the tax was recommended, to induce the legisla- 
ture to limit their appropriations, particularly in refer- 
ence to canals ; or to take the responsibility of levying 
a tax. I was willing to take that responsibility, when- 
ever it appeared necessary ; but I did not wish the 
canals, or the canal policy, decried and rendered un- 
popular, by representing to the community that taxes 
must be levied to sustain that policy, when the canals 
were yielding so prolific a revenue. 

The tax proposition had been Avarmly debated, with 
but little prospect that it would become a law. The 
bill which I drew up, proposed that when a sufficient 
amount of money was collected to pay the Erie and 
Champlain canal debt, for the payment of which the 
earnings of the canals were pledged by the constitution, 
and then had nearly provided for their payment — the 
state should annually borrow from the canal fund 
$300,000 dollars, for the use of the general fund. 

This bill was submitted to the comptroller, who said 
he could get along well enough if it was passed, but 
expressed doubts whether it could be, as the canal 
counties would prefer retaining all canal earnings, to 
repair and improve them. I felt sure the advocates 
for canals generally, would stand on better ground in 
the estimation of tax-payers, if we could show the 
canals paying back to the treasury, (for the loan was 
merely paying back) than to pass a law for taxing 
them, and the canal fund to retain all earnings : and 



272 REMINISCENCES 

with this impression determined to introduce and press 
the bill to a vote. It was not necessary for the comp- 
troller to inform me, that the bill would be opposed, or 
to indicate where the opposition would come from ; for 
I had considered that before. If carried at all, it must 
be by a portion of those opposed to direct taxation, 
uniting with representatives from the remote parts of 
the state, north and south of the Erie canal, with the 
co-operation of the river counties, and of Long Island, 
and a considerable portion of the city of New York. 
Strange as it may now appear, the city representatives, 
when Mr. Clinton proposed the canal, were generally 
against it; and so a large portion of them had been in 
opposition to that policy, in almost every subsequent 
session. 

It is indeed passing strange that it should be so, 
when it is certain that no portion of the state derived 
greater benefits from the canals, than the cit3% Long 
Island, and the counties along the Hudson, for many 
years, felt their interest was not promoted, but rather 
injured ; and hence, very naturally, went for a law that 
should make the canals begin to pay to the state, 
instead of drawing from the tax-payers. The bill 
authorized the money withdrawn from the canal fund 
to be regarded as a loan to the state, for which separate 
accounts were to be kept ; the object of which was to 
steer clear of objections, growing out of the consti- 
tutional pledge of all canal revenues, till the canal debt 
was paid off. The debt being not yet due, and conse- 
quently not actually paid, it was intended to provide 
money enough for its payment, and the state then to 
become a borrower : no one supposing the money 
borrowed would have to be repaid to the canal fund. 
By putting it in the shape of a loan, we could count on 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 273 

several votes, that would have gone against an appro- 
priation of money from the canal to the general fund, 
except as a loan. And here let me observe, that a 
discreet legislator will always put his main proposition 
in such a shape as to realize what he desires ; at the 
same time keeping out of it such matters as may be 
regarded as objectionable, by those who are to pass 
upon it. 

The object was to strengthen the general fund, and 
replenish the treasury ; and whether it was called a 
loan, or merely taking money from one pocket and 
putting it into the other, was of no consequence. The 
support expected from the remote counties was predi- 
cated on the fact that they wanted local and lateral 
improvements, to put them more nearly on an equality 
with the favored counties along the canals : and as it 
appeared reasonable that they should participate in the 
benefits of state improvements, they would probably 
replenish the treasury from the canal fund, in preference 
to taxing their constituents ; and again, would be more 
likely to succeed in their local projects, than if taxes 
must be resorted to, over the whole stale. 

Such were the general views ; portions of which 
were explained to the representatives of different sec- 
tions, and a strong interest was soon combined in 
favor of the bill. It was introduced, called up in due 
lime, warmly opposed, and part of the time bitterly, 
particularly by the representatives from canal counties ; 
and in the end, was carried by small majorities in both 
houses. To this law may be traced the principle of 
that provision in the recent constitution, setting apart 
annually a portion of the canal revenue, for the sup- 
port of government and the payment of the state 
debt, — a provision much more wise and salutary, than 
18 



274 REMINISCENCES 

the restriction upon the legislative power of contracting 
debts for improvements. Had the latter provision been 
in the old constitution, we should probably have no 
canals even at this day. 

This law seemed to reconcile the remote counties, 
and I think was fairly due to them. I have no doubt 
that the advocates of a liberal but discreet prosecution 
of our internal improvement system, stood better in the 
estimation of the community at large, after its passage 
than before; and this was an important point that I 
wished to attain. 

The canals are now more in credit than ever ; and 
prejudices that used to exist, are nearly effaced. No 
part of the state is injured by them, while every part 
is benefited, either directly or indirectly. As I am on 
the subject of canals, I will throw together a few addi- 
tional remarks. I have already stated my constant 
support of the canal policy, from its first commence- 
ment ; and that I wished to continue it, by a discreet 
application of the means and credit of the state, so far 
as its ability would permit. Hence my votes in assem- 
bly and senate have been uniformly favorable to the 
policy, though not always in favor of each particular 
canal. 

In the assembly I voted against the Chenango canal, 
and voted for it in the senate several years afterwards. 
My vote in the assembly was given in 1S26, when I 
represented Otsego county, that had a rival project 
quite as objectionable, and I think more so than the 
Chenango, and never combining half its strength. The 
objection of my constituents to the Chenango, would 
have induced me to vote against it, even if my indivi- 
dual predilections had been for it, which they were not. 
Nor was I desirous for its passage when elected to the 



' BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 275 

senate, though my position was then changed ; as my 
senatorial district favored it by a very decided support. 
Still I never did believe it was to be a productive 
canal, nor was I satisfied with the estimates of its cost ; 
and knowing that a large proportion of my own county 
was against it, I was not displeased with its rejection 
in the assembly after I was in the senate. The truth 
is, it was an embarrassing question, and that it should 
be postponed was not objectionable. The applicants, 
nothing daunted, continued to press their project ; and 
by enlisting Oneida, Madison, Chenango, and Broome, 
which counties felt a strong local interest, they were 
enabled to come back with more strength at each 
session. 

The Otsego canal project was in a measure lost sight 
of, as that county had no backers from abroad ; but 
the Chenango had grown so strong, that it entered into 
many other subjects of legislation ; controlling and di- 
recting some, and defeating others. Politicians seized 
upon it and gave it support; and thus entering into the 
elections and the legislature with so much strength, 
no one could be so blind as not to foresee its eventual 
success. 

The immensely large majorities in Chenango and 
Broome, for Mr. Granger as governor, over Governor 
Throop, showed the political influence it swayed above 
all other considerations ; and almost every one in the 
legislature wanted it out of the way, though many 
would not vote for it who desired its success, rather 
than to have it remain for further agitation. Applica- 
tion was renewed, and in due time it passed the 
assembly, by a respectable majority ; and with the 
endorsement of that body, came to the senate, where 
it seemed to have about an even chance of passing ; 



276 REMINISCENCES 

and then I was appealed to by the advocates of the 
canal, as one of the senators of the district, to sustain 
it. My three senatorial colleagues were for it ; and 
all the assembly men from that senatorial district fa- 
vored it. except three from Otsego, and one or two 
others ; one of the Otsego repi^sentatives being deci- 
dedly for it. Knowing that my own county cared but 
little about it, except perhaps about one-third of the 
county, along the Susquehanna, who from a desire to 
have a canal from the Erie up to Otsego lake, and 
thence by Slackwaler, or otherwise down the Susque- 
hanna, wished to defeat the Chenango. Beyond this 
interested rival view, the other two-thirds of the county 
felt but little interest in either question, (other than that 
of dollars and cents) except the western part of Otsego, 
which favored the Chenango canal; and the represen- 
tative from that section advocated and voted for it. 

I did not believe it was to be a highly profitable 
canal, nor did I suppose it likely to be very burden- 
some to the state. Convinced that it must, beyond a 
reasonable doubt, pass next session, if not at the then 
present, I made up my mind, that, representing a 
district from which at least three-fourths of the assem- 
blymen, and the same proportion in the senate favored 
the project; in which more than one-fourth of my 
constituents felt a deep personal interest, and a large 
proportion of the others, though rather indifferent, yet 
tolerating if not actually encouraging the application, 
it was not my business to defeat it, and thus perpetuate 
the contest, when representatives from other portions 
of the state were votins: for it. With views like these 
I voted for the canal, which passed and was con- 
structed. 

With the knowledge we now have of railroads, 



EY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 277 

I should hardly vote for that canal ; nor would I have 
voted for it at the time, had I supposed it was to cost 
as much as it actually did. The truth is, the legislature 
was shamefully imposed upon by the engineers, in 
reference to the cost of this, as well as the Genesee 
Valley and Black river canals. Their estimate for 
this was about $1,000,000, and it cost upwards of 
$2,500,000 ; the Genesee Valley, about $1,000,000, 
which will probably cost $4,000,000, if not $4,500,000 ; 
and about $1,000,000 for the Black river canal and 
feeder which is likely to cost $2,000,000 or more. 

The coal trade was always put forward as a prob- 
able business, that would eventually enhance the value 
of the Chenango canal ; which from present indica- 
tions, will soon be realized ; so that in the en-d that 
canal will be much more productive than it has been, 
and probably somev/hat profitable ; but hitherto it has 
been a hard bargain for the state. 

The Genesee Valley canal, though I voted for it, 
should never have been authorized farther south than 
Mount Morris, with a branch to Dansville. To those 
points from Rochester it would have paid well, and to 
that extent the project was feasible and meritorious. 

Experience has shown the attempt to climb the 
high ridge at Mount Morris, with a view of reaching 
the Allegany river, has been the expensive and ob- 
jectionable part of the work. The engineers either 
mistook or deceived themselves in regard to the ex- 
pense, and the legislature misjudged in heeding their 
advice. The New York and Erie railroad will accom- 
modate that part of the country lying between Mount 
Morris and Olean ; and though the canal will undoubt- 
edly be of considerable benefit to those in its vicinity, 
yet with the railroad constructed, it may be unfortu- 



27S REMimSCENCES 

nate for the state that the canal was authorized beyond 
Mount Morris. Still it must be recollected, that at that 
time, it was extremely doubtful whether the road 
would ever be built; and if it was, whether it would 
answer the business purposes that it probably will. 
For lumber, and heavy bulky articles of that region, 
I suppose the canal will be decidedly preferable ; and 
when completed, and paid for from the earnings of 
the canals generally, it will not be a matter of deep 
regret, that this and the others were authorized. 

The Black river canal for which I voted, and for 
"which, in behalf of a majority of the canal committee, 
I drew a long report, was the more favorably adopted 
by the committee, from the fact, that the canal commis- 
sioners had decided on the necessity of drawing water 
from the Black river, or Fish creek, to supply the long 
level of the Erie canal, about to be enlarged. 

The expense of constructing the feeder, from the 
former, was estimated at about one fourth of the esti- 
mated expense of the canal, and the improvement of 
the river for steam tugs and canal boats, from High 
Falls to Carthage, opening a canal communication from 
Rome to Carthage, some seventy-five miles through a 
heavy-timbered, secluded part of the country, and ten 
miles of navigable feeder, making eighty-five miles in 
the whole. 

As the feeder had to be constructed at so much ex- 
pense, it was deemed best to couple with it the canal 
and river improvement, which if successful would have 
been well enough, provided the expense had not been 
greatly beyond the estimate. With the enhanced ex- 
pense, it remains to be seen whether the measure was 
a wise one, and this is only to be ascertained from the 
test of experience. Had the actual cost been foreseen, I do 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 279 

not suppose the canal would have then been authorised. 
Now look at our canals, as a whole; and although the 
construction of some of them should be admitted as 
indiscreet, and by far too expensive, yet, what a splen- 
did revenue they produce, and how much they have 
enhanced the value of the state, and increased its 
population ! With the Erie canal enlarged, the certain 
enlargement of the Oswego canal, now half-authorised 
by its authorised enlarged locks, and the unfinished 
lateral canals soon to be completed, the state with a 
greatly reduced tariff of tolls, will be able to pay off 
the state debt, meet the ordinary expences of govern- 
ment, and extend canal facilities to other parts, stretch- 
ing its net-work of internal navigation to remote and 
still secluded sections. Nor is this all, for the canals 
will do this, and furnish abundant means to sustain 
common schools and school district libraries, without 
resorting to taxation. 

Who with statesman-like views, can contem.plate 
these improvements and splendid results, and not feel 
proud of the canal policy ? For one, I neither regret 
having sustained that policy ; nor on the whole, the 
votes I have given. 

It is now fifteen years since I drew, for a majority 
of the canal committee, the report in favor of the Black 
river canal and feeder; and yet the canal is not com- 
pleted. 

At that time the canal commissioners and engineers, 
and I believe the canal board, estimated the expense of 
the Erie canal enlargement at twelve million dollars ; 
and the time necessary for its completion, twelve years. 
The stop policy afterwards adopted delayed all the 
canals several years, and subjected the state to heavy 
losses, for damages and dilapidations; and it is now 



280 REMINISCENCES 

apparent that the enlarged canal, and also the laterals, 
were not estimated by the state officers, within a hundred 
and twenty per cent, of what they have and are to 
cost. 

As a matter of curiosity, it may not be uninteresting 
to review this report, which I suppose presents the 
main points on which the senators relied, who voted for 
the canal: I am sure it does my own. The committee 
adopted the estimate of the canal commissioners and 
engineers, as the basis of their report, so far as estimates 
of expense and time for construction, entered into their 
consideration. 

To see how near our estimates would have been 
realised, had the Erie canal been enlarged within the 
time, and at the expense proposed; and whether our 
estimates of increased canal revenues, were a fair 
approximation to actual results since, I have concluded 
to transcribe the substance of that report. 

Senate Document, No. 36. Feb. Sih, 1S36. 

" The committee have had the subject under con- 
sideration, and have regarded it as presenting several 
important questions, both as it respects the public 
at large, and the interest of that part of the state more 
immediately concerned. 

" So far as the public is concerned, without par- 
ticular reference to the petitioners, the committee have 
considered it, in connection with the alread}'- authorised 
project of enlarging the Erie canal, as calculated to 
contribute a large share of water that will be required 
on the Rome level. That a large additional supply 
will be wanted, is officially announced to the legislature 
by the report of the canal board. 

"From this report it appears that the enlarged canal 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 281 

will require, in addition to the present supply, 14,546 
cubic feet of water per minute, on the Ronae summit; 
and the Black river, or Fish creek, have been looked to 
as the source from whence it must be drawn. 

"The report of the engineer, accompanying the report 
of the canal board, estimates the quantity that may be 
drawn from the Black river at 14,081 feet per minute, 
and the expense of the feeder at $221,469; while by the 
same report, a feeder from Fish creek is estimated at 
$158,482, and the quantity of water 13,725 feet per 
minute, which is below the required amount. It is 
therefore, obvious that one or both of these streams 
must be resorted to; and when it is considered that the 
quantity of water in each will decrease as the country 
shall become more improved and open to the sun, the 
committee suppose that although the Black river feeder 
will cost the most, yet the commissioners cannot well 
hesitate to give this the preference, where more than is 
wanted may be obtained, while the other will fall short. 
If the Fish creek should be selected, the committee 
suppose it would require all the water in dry seasons, 
— and this too, below the estimate. This would subject 
the state to heavy damages, on account of mills and 
machinery depending on the stream below the feeder, 
which in the end would approximate very nearly to the 
expense of the Black river feeder. This objection, the 
committee believe, will not to any considerable extent 
apply to the Black river, which, comparatively speak- 
ing, is not much occupied with mills or machinery, 
between the contemplated feeder and the High falls. 
The committee suppose a large portion of the Black 
river may be turned into the Erie canal, and 3'et leave 
water enough for present mills on the river, and supply 
a canal from the Boonville summit, northerlv, to the 



262 REMINISCENCES 

High falls ; and below these falls they suppose there 
will always be an abundant supply not only for naviga- 
tion but for hydraulic purposes. The committee are 
aware, that if a canal is constructed from Rome to the 
High falls, part of the river will be needed to supply the 
northern portion, and thus abstract part that might other- 
wise be taken to the Erie canal. But they suppose, 
that in addition to a portion of the Black river on the 
summit level, several sm.all streams may be taken into 
that level, such as Alder, Benedict, Fisher and Mill 
creeks, which by previous surveys, may be as cheaply 
taken into the canal, as to be passed under it. Then, 
for the levels north of the summit, it is supposed the 
Moose and Sugar rivers may be taken in, yielding an 
abundant supply. They therefore assume, that there 
is abundant water for the Black river canal, and that 
it may contribute largely to the wants of the Erie. 

" Another argument in favor of the Black river, 
(even if Fish creek should be deemed sufficient,) arises 
from the probability that those asking for the Black 
river canal, will scarcely perceive the propriety of ex- 
pending near $200,000 for a feeder only, with an 
inadequate supply, and their section of country excluded 
from a participation in our canal system. 

" The committee suppose, the present application 
will not be abandoned, even if the Black river should 
not be selected as a feeder, or if resorted to as a feeder 
only, and this project having for twelve years been re- 
garded as an important auxiliary in our canal system, 
and having been favorably received in the other branch 
of the legislature, not only in the reports of its com- 
mittees, but last session, passed by a strong vote, your 
committee suppose the applicants may with great pro- 
priety persevere, and in the end meet with success. The 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 283 

committee therefore, believing that ultimately the Black 
river will have to be resorted to as a feeder, are 
decidedly of opinion that when so resorted to, a canal 
should be constructed ; and so far as the expense of the 
feeder shall become a question, the present funds of the 
Erie and Champlain canals may be appropriated. 
They are the more induced to recommend its con- 
struction, from the fact that the state is interested in the 
project, from having large tracts of lands belonging to 
the school fund, the value of which, it is believed, will 
be much enhanced by the construction of the canal, and 
the contemplated improvement of the river. The com- 
mittee forbear going into a detail of the project, the 
general outline of which, is a canal from Rome up the 
Mohawk and Lansing Kill, to the Black river, at the 
High falls, (about thirty-five miles,) with a navigable 
feeder from the river, ten or eleven miles to the summit 
level, near Boonville ; also an improvement of the 
river for canal and small steam boats, from the High 
falls to Carthage, forty miles ; making eighty-five miles 
of navigation, at an estimated expense of $1,070,000. 

'* Since this subject W'as before the legislature, at 
its last session, we have had another year's experience, 
under our canal system ; and the result is not only 
gratifying, but a most triumphant vindication of the 
wisdom of its projectors, and of successful manage- 
ment on the part of those having the canals in charge. 
The increase of business has been such, that notwith- 
standing the reduction in the rates of toll, the revenue 
has gone on increasing ; and we may safely anticipate 
a steady and rapid annual increase for the future. The 
Chenango canal is in such a state of forwardness, that 
we may look for its completion during the ensuing sea- 
son, so that the construction of the Black river canal 



284 REMINISCENCES 

need not interfere with the Chenango, by drawing off 
laborers from the latter, as the surveys and examinations 
for the Black river canal will not be completed much 
before the Chenango. 

" The canal and river improvement will afford a 
cheap and easy access to a vast timber and lumber 
region, so essential to ship building, and to the various 
wants of communit}'', that our cities and villages seem 
to have a deep interest in the project. Secluded as 
this section of country is, these important articles can- 
not now find their way to market. They will not bear 
transportation, and must be suffered to remain as they 
are, or be destroyed in vast quantities, as the country 
is cleared up. 

" True, the lockage is great, and presents a formid- 
able barrier. But this height, formidable as it is, has to 
be overcome by animal power, whenever products are 
sent to market, or merchandize received in return; 
which if more cheaply done by canal, will be so much 
saved to community. 

" The state of New York has taken the lead in 
internal improvements, which has not only given it 
character and eclat, but has added untold millions to 
its wealth and resources. The committee cannot too 
highly extol the wisdom of this system, and they regard 
its commencement as the brightest era of the state, 
though for a time undoubtedly prejudicial to some 
portions, now in a great measure overcome, by accom- 
modating their business pursuits to existing circum- 
stances. Still, the committee believe there are portions 
of the state, (and the Black river region is one,) where 
they now, and must for a long time labor under dis- 
advantages, should the state stop its advance in internal 
improvements. 



BY LE\'I BEARDSLEY. 2S5 

" If the legislature had deemed it advisable to sus- 
pend all further expenditures for improvements, till the 
final 'liquidation of the public debt, there might be an 
apparent propriety in urging applicants for this canal to 
wait ten years longer. But when the public authorities 
are prepared to sanction other expenditures to a large 
amount, it is unreasonable to deny this application, from 
the mere fact that the slate is in debt. The state, 
however, has not, nor will it arrest the further pro- 
secution of its public works ; the authorised enlargement 
of the Erie canal marks its policy on a gigantic scale. 

" That canal, as it now exists, is sufficient for the 
business of the citizens of this state, for many 3'ears ; 
and one of the effects of its enlargement, will be to 
extend its benefits to citizens of other states, whose pro- 
ducts, by the reduction of expences, will be invited 
from fertile regions 1,500 miles beyond our state, in 
direct competition with our farming interest. The 
committee do not object to the policy of enlarging the 
Erie ; but they do object that canal making shall be 
confined to one particular portion, to the exclusion of 
other parts of the state; and that such enlargement shall 
be urged as a reason for refusing other applications, 
when the enlargement is not only to benefit the citizens 
of the already favored portion of the state, but to 
citizens of other states far beyond. 

" A merchant at Green Bay or Chicago, can now 
obtain his goods about as cheap as they can be delivered 
at Lowville ; and agricultural products from the great 
west, reach the sea-board at about as low rates as from 
the section of country intended to be benefited by this 
canal. The tendency of this state of things, is to keep 
real estate stationary, if not to depress its value, in the 
secluded counties, and not only to retard their settle- 



2S0 REMINISCENCES 

ment, but to draw their inhabitants to more favored 
regions. When we consider the low price of land in 
the western states and territories, their unrivalled 
fertility, the ease with which they are brought to and 
cultivated, the mildness of their winters, and their 
proximity to our immense inland seas, and then, super- 
add the facilities for reaching market, through our 
canals, we cannot but perceive the fearful odds of our 
agriculturists, in entering into competition with the 
highly favored west. 

" The committee, however, hope to see an enlarged 
and liberal spirit of legislation, that while it cherishes 
that part already favored, shall not overlook the humble 
pretensions of the less favored portions, north and south 
of the present great thoroughfares. They do not intend 
to recommend a rash and extravagant expenditure, 
that shall create an unwieldy state debt, or to alarm the 
fears of liberal-minded, well-informed citizens, with 
apprehensions of such a result. The only doubt of the 
committee is, whether the state should noic embark in 
this new work. In reference to the time of its com- 
mencement, they have looked, first, to the ability of the 
state to carry it on, and secondly, whether it should be 
delayed till the Erie canal is enlarged, or partially so? 
^hey think that after expending so large an amount in 
constructing the Erie, by which expenditure and the 
facilities for business, the agricultural, commercial, and 
manufacturing interests in its vicinity, have been so 
much advanced, it would be unequal and unjust to re- 
fuse to other portions, a participation in the public 
bounty of the state, while the enlargement is being 
made. 

" It is estimated that twelve years, and as many 
millions of dollars will be required for its accomplish- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 287 

merit, thus cheapening transportation, and by an annual 
expenditure of large sums of money on the favored 
route, giving a stimulus to business not enjoyed in other 
parts of the state. Why then, should citizens residing 
in remote sections, where canals may be constructed, 
be required to wait this long period, (more than half a 
generation) till the other is completed ? 

" It has been before remarked, that the present 
canal is sufficient for our own citizens, were it not used 
by those of other states. The policy of enlarging, (in 
which the committee concur,) is to secure the business 
and transportation to and fro of the products and 
return cargoes of citizens out of the state, as well as 
our own within. 

" To compete for, and to secure the trade and busi- 
ness of the great west, is an object for which a state or 
empire may well contend. New York, while she will 
indulge in no petty jealousies or rivalries, will neverthe- 
less put forth her whole strength for a fair participation 
in the golden harvest. To suppose her indifferent to 
this result, would be to suppose her recreant to the 
interests of her citizens, and as overlooking the un- 
rivalled natural advantages of her position. 

*'Wi]ile, therefore, to secure this immense boon, the 
committee approve of the enlargement, and that too at 
a more early period than contemplated, if necessary, 
they think the secluded parts of the state should not be 
denied a few millions, in the construction of works 
greatly promotive of their interest, provided the finan- 
cial affairs of the state will warrant it. They therefore 
reject the proposition, that all lateral canals shall be 
suspended till the Erie is enlarged, and turn to the 
enquiry, whether the state, in reference to its fiscal 
concerns, can safely embark in further pubhc works ? 



2SS REMINISCENCES 

"If the policy of the state indicates, as recommencled 
from high authority, thepropriety of applying $1,000,000 
annually from canal revenues, for twelve 5^ears, to 
complete the enlargement, the committee can see no 
impropriety in borrowing for lateral canals such rea- 
sonable sums as may be necessary ; and of reimbursing 
them from canal revenues, after the Erie shall be 
enlarged ; and they feel confident that the earnings of 
a few years will repay such loans. Why then should 
the state hesitate as to this policy, when it is certain 
that the construction of lateral canals will greatly en- 
hance its aggregate wealth, while it stimulates and 
benefits the local portions : and when it is as certain 
as any future event can be, that the canal revenues 
will in the end furnish ample means. By anticipating 
these means, and substituting the credit of the state, 
we immediately accomplish the desired objects ; and 
hold out inducements to our own citizens to remain, 
and emigrants to settle with us, instead of going to 
other states. 

♦' It is said the treasury is nearly exhausted. If this 
be conceded, it must be recollected that a large portion 
has gone for the construction of canals, that are abun- 
dantly able to respond to the uttermost farthing ; and 
as the people have had the benefit of the expenditure, 
without taxation, if a light tax should be resorted to 
for a few years, till the canal revenues are released 
from the constitutional pledge, no good cause of com- 
plaint would exist. 

" If it be said the canal policy has impoverished the 
treasury, we point with pride to the last year, showing 
a revenue of $1,000,000 over all charges, and constantly 
increasinsf. But this is not all. The committee mia^ht 
point to a rapid increase of inhabitants, unexampled 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 289 

agricultural prosperity, farms highly cultivated, cities 
springing up as if by magic, and an increase of wealth 
beyond computation. Although the general fund is 
nearly exhausted, yet we have in its stead our canals, 
with an increasing revenue much beyond what that 
fund could have produced ; and though we have a 
state debt, yet apply the cash on hand for its reduction, 
and we find it decreasing with such rapidity, that 
were it not that the state has resolved on enlarging the 
Erie canal, the whole debt would be provided for before 
1845, and an amount would accumulate by that time, 
much beyond any previous means of the treasury. 
They therefore cannot doubt the ability of the state to 
accomplish desirable improvements, and that too with- 
out burthening its citizens. 

" The committee will submit a few observations, 
showing upon what estimates they base their conclusion 
of the ability of the state to go forward. The Erie and 
Champlain debts will be provided for during the ensu- 
ing month of June, and probably by the first of that 
month. The auction and salt duties, estimated at 
$330,000 for the first year, will go far towards meeting 
the ordinary expences of government, with a probable 
increase, and may go to the treasury. They therefore 
return to the canal revenues $1,000,000 over and above 
expences and repairs ; and are rapidly increasing, 
though the tariff of tolls has been annually reduced. 

" No further great reduction of tolls can be made, 
until the canal debt is actually paid, in 1845, being re- 
stricted by the constitution. The committee believe, that 
ihe increase of business and tolls on the canals, for the 
last five years, will warrant the assumption that for the 
next nine there will be an increase of revenue equal to 
$160,000 dollars per annum ; and on enlarging the 
19 



290 REMINISCENCES 

canal, or even doubling the locks, with the present 
rates, they cannot doubt that for the last three years of 
the term the increase will be much greater. The 
expenditures the present year, on the Erie and Cham- 
plain canals, beyond ordinary repairs and expences, 
will probably not exceed from $300,000 to $400,000 ; 
so that it is fair to presume, $500,000 at least of this 
year's earnings will remain in the treasury at the end 
of the year. The committee do not believe it will be 
necessary for the purposes of enlargement, to draw 
this sum from the treasury; because, after the pre- 
sent year, the earnings of the canals each year will be 
sufficient to meet the estimated amount for the enlarge- 
ment — $1,000,000. They therefore think they will be 
safe, in estimating this $500,000 at the end of the year 
1845, including interest quarterly at fis^e per cent., at 
$800,000. Then, after the year 1837, $300,000 each 
year is to be retained from the canal revenues, under 
the act of Ma}^ 11th, 1835, which with interest at 
same rate to the end of 1845, will amount to $2,100,000; 
these two items alone amounting to $2,900,000. The 
increase of business and tolls on the canals, they sup- 
pose will largely exceed the estimated amount. But 
suppose the state, for the purpose of expediting the 
enlargement of the Erie, should apply all the tolls, or 
should borrow and create a stock, payable in twenty 
years, to complete the enlargement at an early period, 
and to construct lateral canals ? In that case the com- 
mittee cannot doubt, but with the tolls at present rates 
until 1845, and a large reduction after that time, that 
in twenty years the canals would yield a revenue, not 
only sufficient to enlarge and double lock the Erie, at 
estimated expence, and pay off all the present state 
debts, but to construct the Black river and several 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 291 

Other lateral canals. The question, therefore, seems 
more appropriately to be, whether the state will borrow 
in anticipation of its means, than whether it will be in 
possession of means within fifteen or twenty years, to 
liquidate such loans? 

" In looking for results based on these estimates, 
reliance must be had on the good faith of citizens of 
the western part of the state, to keep up a reasonable 
toll after 1S45 ; and the committee will not believe, 
that the representatives of those counties, and canal 
counties generally, will object to a reasonable revenue, 
for the purpose of constructing practicable lateral 
canals. In previous legislation. In reference to canals, 
the western representatives have manifested a spirit 
of liberality that illy comports with a supposed design 
to render the canals in a measure free to all ' comers 
and goers.' To reduce the tolls to a nominal amount, 
would be to bring the products from the far west in 
direct competition with our own citizens, as well in the 
western as in other parts of the state. When it shall 
become a question, whether Canada and the western 
states shall use our canals for a nominal toll, the com- 
mittee believe the western counties will act with other 
portions of the state, and insist on a rate of tolls that 
shall keep them in repair, and a reasonable amount 
for revenue. 

" The committee feel great confidence that they 
are not mistaken, in their estimate of business hereafter 
to be transacted on the canals. The increase from our 
own state has been immense, and will enlarge from 
year to year, not only from the increase of population 
and wealth, but from the necessary demand and en- 
hanced prices in our cities and villages, for timber, 
raw materials and products from the country. Every 



292 REMINISCENCES 

road and avenue leading to our great thoroughfare will 
add to its business, and the canal under consideration 
will contribute essentially to that object. It will induce 
settlements in the Black river section, heretofore 
deemed inexpedient; and thus bring under cultivation 
large tracts now a wilderness. But without relying on 
the business of New York, may we not with perfect 
certainty look to Upper Canada and the western states, 
as affording business enough to warrant all the assump- 
tions of this committee? 

" Ohio, comparatively speaking, has scarcely found 
the way to our metropolis ; and the other western states 
are far behind Ohio. Twelve years more, and this 
young and vigorous member of the confederacy will 
have nearly 2,000,000 of inhabitants, and the increase 
of business will far more than equal her population. 
Within twelve years Michigan will probably have half 
a million; Indiana, 1,200,000; lUinois, 800,000 ; and 
Wisconsin, 300,000. The upper Mississippi, including 
Missouri, will resort to our canals, for transporting a 
great proportion of their products to market, and bring 
back a rfch return of mercantile commodities ; while 
we may reasonably expect to transmit through these 
avenues a large portion of merchandise for the states 
south of the Ohio. Nor are our western brethren in- 
sensible to the superior advantages of our stale im- 
provements, in reference to their sections of country. 
Illinois has determined to connect the Illinois river 
with Lake Michigan. The Missisippi will soon be 
connected by navigable rivers and canal with Lake 
Michigan by Green Bay; and probably by railroad 
from St. Louis to Chicago. Indiana has recently passed 
a law, contemplating an expenditure of $10,000,000 ia 
canals and railroads, the principal part of them looking 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 293 

to lakes Michigan and Erie as the outlets to market; 
while Ohio is pushing* forward her canals, to connect 
with the latter great natural outlet. 

" The committee believe they do not look in vain 
to our canal revenues, as presenting in prospect an 
abundant fund for liquidating all reasonable expendi- 
tures for canal purposes. If a retrospect of the ])ast 
can be relied upon as shadowing forth the coming 
greatness of the future, in reference to the migJity west, 
they might strengthen their position, by calling to mind 
what it was forty years ago, and what it is now. Then 
an unbroken wilderness, possessed almost exclusively 
by savages — now, comparatively speaking, a garden ; 
interspersed, to be sure, with large tracts of unculti- 
vated country, but with a soil rich and inviting, and 
capable of sustaining as dense a population as any 
under the sun. Within thirty-five years, and within 
the recollection of a large proportion of this senate, the 
population, even in that part formerly known as the 
north-west territory, has from a small beginning arrived 
at about 2,500,000. Now if in perspective we could 
behold the results -of the next forty years, and some 
wizard could conjure up and show us the immense 
groups that will then be there, the committee suppose, 
that after registering the astonishing number of seven 
millions of human beings, the cry would be ' still they 
come.' 

"It may perhaps be supposed, that the committee, 
from an overheated imagination in contemplating the 
past, have erred in their estimate of the future ; and 
have presented a fancy sketch, on a grave subject of 
legislation : but fully believing that the great and, 
unrivalled west, with a soil inexhaustibly fertile, teeming 
with an enterprising, industrious, and public-spirited 



294 REMINISCENCES 

population, outstripping all ordinary rules of increase, 
both in numbers and in wealth, will fully answer all 
just expectations, not only rendering what may appear 
illusions of fancy probable ; but in their results will be 
found the sober realities of life. Believing this, they 
have prepared a bill, which they now ask leave to 
present." 

By those unacquainted with New York legislation, 
and the course taken in reference to canals, it may be 
asked, how has it happened, that, though the canal 
revenues have increased fully to the anticipations of 
the committee, yet the state debt is largely increased, 
and neither the enlargement of the Erie, or the con- 
struction of the lateral canals is yet completed ? The 
answer to this query has already been intimated, but 
may be profitably enlarged upon. When the com- 
mittee made the Black river canal report, they adopted 
the report of the state authorities having charge of 
canal improvements, as to the time necessary, and the 
expence of those improvements, as the basis of sena- 
torial estimates. 

The then proposition was, to enlarge the Erie canal 
with double locks, within twelve years, by expending 
$1,000,000 per year. The canals would have fur- 
nished this amount, and left a large balance in the 
treasury : but it now appears, the enlargement will 
not fall much, if any, short of $28,000,000. Then, as 
has been remarked, the lateral canals have greatly 
exceeded the expence of their estimates ; to which may 
be added, a large amount paid for damages on sus- 
pending the public works, while the partially completed 
works greatly deteriorated by delay and dilapidation. 
All those estimates in regard to expenditures were 
greatly below actual cost, while the canal revenues 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 295 

have gone beyond estimates. It will be found, by 
comparing the estimates of the committee of the senate 
with the actual earnings of the canals, that the com- 
mittee would have been fully sustained by results, had 
liio estimates of expences and time for completing the 
works been anywhere near right. 

It would swell these remarks too much, to go into 
a discussion in regard to the " stand still" policy which 
was finall}^ adopted by the state. Those questions 
have been elaborately discussed and passed upon; 
and po soofl can arise from further discussion. It had 
its origin partly, from the difficulty of raising money at 
reasjnible rates, as had been done before, and has 
been since ; but more from political considerations, 
tlial Induced a large portion of the democratic party 
to go against further loans, with a view of discrediting 
and counteracting the policy of the whigs. The demo- 
cratic leaders who took this view of the question, 
argued against creating a debt except as means were 
provided for its early extinguishment; and not only 
this, but that the work should not go on, except as the 
money could be furnished from the earnings of the 
canals. 

The whig party, almost to a man, urged the vigo- 
rous prosecution of the pubhc works, and the early 
completion of the canal enlargement: in which policy 
a large portion of democrats coincided, who were 
known as hunkers, of whom Gov. Bouck was one, who 
was open and decided in his views. Those democrats 
who took the other side, insisted on the stop policy, 
which in regard to contractors, was nothing more or 
less than repudiation on the part of the state, which in 
the end had to pay largely for violating its contracts. 
They a 'so took ground against public improvements, 



296 REMINISCENCES 

for an indefinite time at least ; and then, aided by 
those who sought every occasion to discredit the canals, 
particularly the laterals, finally succeeded in arresting 
the public works. 

The embarrassments growing out of the suspension 
of specie payments, the prostration of individual as 
well as public credit, the great reduction of currency, 
and general bankruptcy that ensued, presented diffi- 
culties not easily surmounted. To these must be added 
the tirades against the credit system, and vituperation 
against banks ; while a hard- money currency was 
lauded and urged as the only constitutional currency, 
and by far the most desirable. These, all combined, 
had a pernicious influence on the credit of the canals, 
as well as the credit of the state. 

Mr. Samuel B. Ruggles, chairman of the committee 
of ways and means in the assembly, (decidedly whig) 
had previously made an able report, in regard to the 
fiscal concerns of the state. It has been much criticised, 
commented upon, and misrepresented ; but it was able 
and statesman-like ; and in regard to estimates of 
canal earnings, and the ability of the state, so far as 
revenue was concerned, has thus far stood the test of 
experience. The canals have exceeded, and probably 
will continue to exceed his estimates : but the public 
were not prepared to take the enlarged views of state 
affairs that he had taken ; nor could capitalists, always 
absorbed with the mere question of profit and loss, fully 
comprehend it. Thej'-, of all others, are most timid : 
particularly in times of depression and embarrassment. 
The holders of present stocks of course would not 
desire to see them depressed by an issue of new ; and 
as monied affairs then were, with political clamor and 
opposition, the issue of any considerable amount of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 297 

new state stock would have that tendency. Hence the 
time was unpropitious, and large amounts of money 
could not be realized, except at ruinous rates of interest. 

Mr. Ruggles showed the ability of the state to 
sustain a debt of $40,000,000 at 5 per cent, interest, 
and at the same time create a sinking fund, that would 
extinguish such a debt within a given number of years, 
without resorting to taxation. He recommended bor- 
rowing money, to complete the enlargement of the Erie 
canal ; a policy which, if it could have been carried 
out, at five, six, or even seven per cent., I think no sane 
man would now regret had it been done. I have not 
his report before me ; but I think he did not recommend 
the creation of a $40,000,000 debt, thougii he discussed 
and shewed the ability of the state to sustain it ; and 
perhaps it may be inferred from his report, that indi- 
vidually he would have gone for it. 

He and the whig party have been charged with a 
design to create such a debt; but certainl}'", the house 
of assembly, of which he was an influential member, 
did not act to the extent of any such suggestion ; nor 
did they go as far as the democratic senate, in regard 
to the authorization of loans for the enlargement of 
the canal. 

As I have before remarked, Mr. Ruggles demon- 
strated, by a course of reasoning based on what the 
canals had done for a series of years, showing that 
there had deen a constant and large increase ; and 
then, deducing that from the rapid population going 
on at the west, an annual and large augmentation 
of business and tolls might be relied upon, for a like 
series thereafter. This view he* enforced, by esti- 
mating that after the canal was enlarged, the business 
and toils must also enlarge ; so that the annual increase 



29S REMINISCENCES 

would be much greater than for the preceding series: 
and hence argued that the revenues would not only 
pay the interest of $40,000,000, should the debt go to 
that amount, but would pay off the principal within a 
given number of years. It is now about fourteen years 
since that report was made ; and any one who will 
look at the earnings of the canals from year to year, 
will find, that with the rates of tolls greatly reduced, 
the annual increase has been much beyond his estimate. 
But the annunciation of such a proposition, in relation 
to the ability of the state, was seized upon by political 
leaders on the other side, to represent him and his 
party as prepared to plunge the state into an enormous 
debt, that would cripple and paralyze it for years. 
The timid were alarmed ; capitahsts hesitated. The 
embarrassments of the limes, the opposition and de- 
nunciations of politicians striving for power, with the 
natural timidity of monied men, interposed difficulties, 
so that loans could not be made on fair term.s. 

The whigs lost power ; and the " slop policy" be- 
came the law of the state. The weak point in Mr. 
Ruggles' report, if there was any weak point, was 
not in the estimate of the means of the state, or the 
amount of canal revenues; but in not fully realizing, 
under the then depressed state of affairs, the difficulty 
of borrowing at rates compatible with the public in- 
terest, such sums as were necessary for state purposes. 
Hence, when at a subsequent period, attempts were 
made to borrow comparatively small sums, they were 
obtained with difficulty ; and objections were interposed 
by holders of state stocks, against creating and issuing 
new. Could money then have been obtained, on as 
favorable terms as it could be now, or in 1836, and 
even in 1S3S, all the loans contemplated by Mr. Rug- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 299 

gles could have been made, and the state would have 
realized a handsome profit from premiums. As moiiey 
matters were two or three years afterwards, the sacri- 
fice would have been considerable, and much too 
great, even if the money could have been obtained. 
I have no doubt, that were not the state prohibited 
from borrowing, except under restrictions imposed by 
the constitution, a loan of $5,000,000, or $6,000,000, 
and even more, might now be advantageously nego- 
tiated, as suggested by Governor Hunt ; by which 
large premiums might be realized, and the state enabled 
to complete the canals within a very limited period, 
and much to the interest of the public. 

In reference to canals and many other projects of 
internal improvement, it is almost incredible that the city 
of New York, whose prosperity is so intimately con- 
nected with the opening and sustaining those great 
avenues, so essential to the promotion of the agricultural 
and commercial interests of both the city and the state 
at large, should have allowed itself to be placed in 
opposition ; and yet, strange as it may appear, the city, 
through its representatives, has not only once, but often 
sturdily resisted those improvements. 

The law authorising the Erie canal, was forced 
through the legislature in opposition to a large majority 
of the city members. It was Western New York, — 
the old western senatorial district, — the then most 
democratic part of the state, that stood by Mr. Clinton, 
and mainly sustained those measures, so beneficial to 
both the city and country ; and which the city some- 
times from political reasons, and at others, from the 
influence of monied men, who could not comprehend 
'.he value of improvements, so strongly resisted. 

To look at the opposition, so frequently urged against 



300 REMINISCENCES 

the enlargement of the Erie and Oswego canals, except 
by a slow-paced, snail-like n^ovement, that shall nearly 
use up the present generation, one would suppose, that 
a large proportion of those in the city, even with an ex- 
perience that ought to open the eyes of the blind, and 
unstop the ears of the deaf, are still insensible to their own 
interests, or indifferent to that of the state at large. Is 
it political infatuation ? A failure of vision to perceive 
the interest of the city? or a total disregard to its future 
growth and prosperity? or a sordid feeling, that looks 
only to present profits, and immediate results? It is a 
suicidal policy, of which the city has many times been 
guilty, and probably will be again. 

How different has been the course of Buffalo, 
situated at the far western terminus of the canal! That 
young city has grown to manhood within a few years, 
its growth greatly augmented from the facilities of 
business, resulting from our internal improvement sys- 
tem ; and its citizens have had the good sense to 
perceive their interest, and to sustain that policy. No 
matter what party has been in power, whether whig or 
democratic, or anti-masonic : all have gone for a liberal 
system in regard to canal improvements. 

I have been much surprised that a man of the 
intelligence and liberal views of my friend, Jabez D. 
Hammond, and one too, who has sustained the canal 
policy, should have allowed the paragraph that I am 
about to quote, a place in his " Political History of New 
York." At page 426 of his second volume, speaking of 
the law authorising the Chenango canal, he uses the 
following language : " I have been the more particular 
in relating the origin, progress, and consummation of 
the scheme of making this canal; because I regard it 
as the commencement of, or entering wedge to, a system 



. BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 301 

of measures and a policy which have involved this state 
in a debt, which, for ought I can perceive, will continue to 
accwmilate ; or which, at all events, will not he extinguished 
hij the present, and I apprehend, many succeeding gen- 
erations.'^ This must have been written not far from 
1S42; and the Judge must have been under the in- 
fluence of those panic anti-canal speeches, that prepared 
the way for the " stop law," and *' stand still" policy 
of the state, which cost millions to pay damages. He 
must have known what the canals had been earning 
the preceding years; for he would esteem it a sorry 
compliment to suppose him writing about the revenues 
and debts of the state, and not to have acquainted him- 
self with its finances. He certainly must have known 
what the canals had been earning over and above 
repairs and superintendance, as I take it for granted he 
had consulted the annual reports. 

Had he analyzed them, as he did in 1S48, when he 
wrote the " Life and Times of Silas Wright," he would 
have found that the net earnings, applicable to the en- 
largement of the canal, or for other state purposes, as 
had been or might be directed were as follows: 

1837 - - - - $717,803. 

1838 - - - 841,888. 

1839 - - - . 1,111,517. 

1840 - - . 1,060,000. 
184:1 - - - - 1,533,224. 

I have taken the above from a table appended by 
the Judge himself, on page 88, of the " Life and Times 
of Silas Wright," published in 1848; which table goes 
on, and gives the earnings for several years succeeding 
1841, viz: 

1842 - - - - $1,177,771. 

1843 - - - 1,457,733. 



302 HEMINISCENCES 

1844 . - - - 1,802.400. 

1845 - - . 1,714,560. 

1846 . - - - 2,202,661. 

1847 - - . 2,866,000. 

This shows an increase in ten years from $717,803, 
to $2,866,000, about fourfold ; which, one would sup- 
pose ought to have quieted those gloomy forebodings. 
And if he will look at the net earnings each year, up to 
the last, he will have great reason to hope that the state 
is not to be burthened with a debt that shall afflict 
the present and " many succeeding generations." 

When the judge prepared his table, and wrote the 
*'Life and Times," it would have been a favorable 
opportunity for him to have corrected previous impres- 
sions, if he had, inadvertently or otherwise, fallen into 
an error, — which I have no doubt he would have done 
had it occurred to him ; but as he did not do so, I hope 
he will excuse me when I apply to him the substance of 
what he says in reference to Mr. Wright, on pages 93 
and 94, where speaking of his anti-canal report, in 
1827, Judge Hammond says : " It seems to us that he 
did not perceive and fully appreciate the resources 
of the state ; that his apprehensions of its incapacity to 
make public improvements and pay for them, were too 
gloomy and desponding ; and it is certain, that in 1827, 
he, in common with all other intelligent men, was 
greatly mistaken in the estimate he formed in relation 
to the amount of revenue which might be received, 
and which, in fact, subsequently was realized from the 
canal." 

As an offset to the Judge's opinion, in 1842, I will 
hazard a prediction, that those who may be living 
fifteeen years hence may compare and decide between 
them. We shall now probably have the enlargement 



EY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 303 

of both the Erie and Oswego canals completed within 
four or five years ; and I will estimate the amount at 
$12,000,000, instead of ten millions to be added to our 
present state debt. My prediction is, that with rates 
of tolls so reduced as to defy all competition, the 
present generation, reckoning from the completion of 
these enlargements, will see the present debt, and the 
$12,000,000 that may be added, paid off or provided 
for, and the state left with an annual revenue, that 
without taxes will defray the ordinary expences of 
government; support free schools, and school district 
libraries, all over the state ; endow colleges and acade- 
mies ; relieve the deaf, dumb, blind, and insane ; and 
still have a large surplus to prosecute other necessary 
improvements. Certainly, with the excellent provision 
in the constitution, setting apart a portion of the canal 
earnings for payment of interest, and a sinking fund 
for the ultimate extinction of the principal, no one 
should despair of the payment of the state debt. 

I believe Judge Hammond takes a different view 
of the canal question now, and the probability, nay 
certainty, of paying off the state debt from the canal 
revenues, from what he did in 1842 : for he not only 
approved of the recent law, authorizing loans on the 
credit of funds pledged by the constitution, for en- 
larging and finishing the canals; but wrote one of the 
best and -most convincing articles, in favor of the 
policy and constitutionality of the law, that appeared 
during the excited canvas preceding the special election. 

With the kindest feelings towards him personally 
I have felt that I ought not to pass over the ^tracts 
from his works that I have given, without a criticism ; 
because they relate to legislative matters in which I 
had no inconsiderable share, and in which I acted 



304: REMINISCENCES 

under convictions, in regara to canal revenues, so 
different from those expressed by him, that I ought to 
dissent from his conclusions. My report on the Black 
river canal, which has been partly transcribed in this 
chapter, will show my reasons for voting for lateral 
canals in 1836, and on what estimates of revenue 
those votes were given ; and now, with annual earnings 
by the canals of about $3,000,000, which will probably 
increase, I am willing to submit to the test of experi- 
ence, and to the judgment of those who come after me, 
whether those former estimates have not been more 
than realized ; and whether my votes, though liberal, 
were not statesman-like and appropriate? 






BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 305 



CHAPTER XVIL 

Caucus Manoeuvres. — Election of Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, to 
U. S. Senate, in 1833. — He opposes the Independent 
Treasury Bill. 

In February, 1833, a senator for congress was to be 
appointed. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge had entered the 
senate with me, in 1830, and was then on the last year 
of his term. He had discharged his duties with zeal 
and fidelity, was popular and conciliating, of highly 
respectable talents, and had acquired a strong position 
in the senate, as well as in the assembly. 

His friends proposed him as candidate for the dis- 
tinguished position, which seemed to be quite favorably 
regarded. It was soon obvious that he was to meet 
with a decided opposition, though it was by no means 
so clear who was to be his opponent. Senators and 
members of the house, who professed to be the more 
immediate exponents of Mr. Van Buren, were opposed 
to Mr. Tallmadge. 

Several of them took the ground that he was by the 
state constitution, ineligible to the office ; and this from 
first being whispered round, was soon openly put for- 
ward. A friend of Mr. Tallmadge, in the senate, 
introduced a resolution, referring the question to attorney 
General Bronson, whose report was decidedly favor- 
able on the constitutional question, which, with a sound 
lawyer, as the constitution then stood, could hardly have 
been different. Mr. Van Buren happened to be in 
20 



oOS REMINISCENCES 

Alban}'- a few weeks before the appointment was made, 
and remained there until very near or about the time 
the caucus was held. He stopped at Congress Hall, 
where Mr. Tallmadge and myself, with several other 
senators and members were staying, but professed to 
take no part in the question while the canvas was 
going on. 

A few days before the election, Mr. Van Buren 
being in Mr. Tallmadge's room, — as they were fre- 
quently in each others rooms, though they never 
exchanged a word about the senatorship, — Mr. Tall- 
madge thought he would sound him on the subject, and 
remarked that his name had been mentioned in con- 
nection with the appointment. Mr. Van Buren made 
no reply, but turned or checked the conversation, by 
enquiring whether Mr. T. had read the life or works 
of George Canning, then recently published. He left 
the room a few moments afterwards, politely saying, he 
would send the books for perusal ; which he accord- 
ingly did. 

The inference that Mr. T. drew, was a very natural 
one, which was, that Mr. Van Buren was not favorable, 
and that he preferred some other man ; which was the 
only inference that could be drawn. 

A day or two before the caucus, a friend of Mr. 
Tallmadge was in Mr. Van Buren's room, and seeing 
a book lying there, took it up ; and on opening, found it 
was the journal of the constitutional convention. 

Leaves were turned down at portions having 
reference to disqualification of members of the senate 
and assembly, for other offices, during the term for 
which they were elected. 

Knowing that the opponents of Tallmadge were 
urging this objection against him, he and his friends had 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 307 

no doubt that Mr. V. B. entertained the question, and 
had been consulting authorities. Edward Livingston 
represented the city and county of Albany that year; 
and I think was speaker. He was ardent and active, 
and very much devoted to politics; and under party 
influences. He was one of the first to propose Mr. 
Tallmadge, and proffered him his active and decided 
support 5 which I have no doubt he then intended to 
render. But a few days before the caucus, " a change 
came o'er the spirit of his dream." For a considerable 
time after the question began to be agitated, those 
opposed to Mr. Tallmadge, had not fixed on a candidate. 
They were opposed to him, and in favor of "some good 
sound Tepublican, that the party mjght agree upon." 
Three or four days before the caucus, the contest began 
to assume a more definite shape ; and it was given out 
that Judge Sutherland was to be the opposing candidate. 
He was brother-in-law to Mr. Livingston ; and from the 
course taken by Livingston before and at the caucus, it 
looked very much as if the Judge had been made a 
candidate with a view of detachino; Livingston from 
Tallmadge's support. Whether intended for that or 
not, it had that eflfect ; for he called on Tallmadge 
before the caucus, and frankly told him that he could 
not support him, though he admitted that he had been 
in favor of him, but Judge Sutherland being a can- 
didate, he must now go for him; and remarked that 
Sutherland had been urged and pushed into the can- 
vas by Mr. Van Buren. The contest was now be- 
coming active and earnest ; and as it was apparent 
the vote would be exceedingly close, both sides were 
vigilant, that a vote should not be lost. It was in fact, 
a contest among veteran politicians ; not your mihtia- 
fighting, but well-drilled regulars were in the ranks, who 



SOS REMINISCENCES 

had been disciplined and were familiar with " regency 
tactics." 

The caucus was held, and those opposed to Mr. T. 
were active in urging the constitutional objection, as 
\A'ell as others which they supposed might influence the 
members of the caucus. Short debates followed, in 
which his friends maintained that he was eligible, and 
manifested as much determination to sustain him, as 
the other sld« did to defeat him. A ballot was had, 
the result of which was that Tallmadge lacked one or 
two votes of a majority of the whole. The votes on the 
other side were nearly all given for Judge Sutherland 
and Benjamin F. Butler ; but Mr. Butler was consider- 
ably a-head of Sutherland. 

From the time the judge was named as a candidate, 
we felt quite sure we could beat him, as the course he 
had recently taken on the tariff question, then of absorb- 
ing interest, had disaffected those who were looking for 
a reliable candidate on that great national question. 
The late Benjamin Knower was indefatigable in his 
exertions tor Mr. Tallmadge. 

Mr. Knower was a practical mechanic, and wanted 
the tariff laws so adjusted, as to afford protection to 
American industry. He was shrewd, intelligent, per- 
severing, and influential ; and being father-in-law to 
Governor Marcy, and then or recently state treasurer, 
stood remarkably well with the democracy. He wanted 
something more than a "judicious tariff," which could be 
construed to mean, protection or no protection, at 
pleasure ; and hence, when Judge Sutherland, had re- 
cendy at a tariff meeting, taken a course in opposition 
to such men as Benjamin Knower, and other high 
tariff men, it naturally placed them in opposition to his 
nomination. 



EY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 309 

Knowing what the actual feeling was, in regard to 
Judge Sutherland, the friends of Mr. Tallmadge did 
not believe that the votes against him could be con- 
centrated on the Judge so as to ensure his appointment ; 
and hence they were apprehensive that he had been 
brought forward to draw off votes from Tallmadge, 
with a view of ultimately transfering them to another 
candidate. 

It was, therefore, all important that Tallmadge's 
friends should stand firm for the second or subsequent 
ballotings. Before going into caucus they had been 
urged to be firm, as well as vigilant; for we expected 
an attempt would be made to carry the caucus by 
stratagem : and in this respect our anticipations shadow- 
ed forth what was soon to take place. 

As soon as it Vv'as ascertained that a candidate was 
not selected at the first ballot, and that Mr. Butler was 
a-head of Judge Sutherland, Mr. Livingston got up, and 
said he was authorised to withdraw the Judge from the 
further canvas ; and that he should then go for Mr. 
Butler ; and urged all others to do so for the harmony 
of the party. 

This movement revealed the plan of the contest; 
which was to use Southerland's name, with a view to 
transfer votes eventually to Mr. Butler. It did not 
succeed as well as was expected ; for Major Myers 
immediately arose, and said, in substance, that though 
he had voted for Judge Sutherland, on the first ballot, 
he did not admit the right of Mr. Livingston to transfer 
him to Mr. Butler; and if a transfer was to be made, 
he should make it himself, and should next time go for 
Mr. Tallmadge. 

Here we had gained one vote at least; and it 
remained to be seen, whether others had come over to 



310 REMINISCENCES 

US in consequence of changing front and position, and 
whether we had lost any by this stratagetic movement. 

The canvas on the second ballot was spirited. 
The friends of the two candidates were vigilant and 
active. Those who voted for Tallmadge on the first, 
stood firm on the second ; and he was nominated by a 
small majority ; thus defeating those who esteemed 
themselves the heart and soul of the Albany regency, 
just as they had been defeated a few years before, 
when Judge Bronson was made attorney-general. 

That Mr. Livingston should have gone for the 
nomination of his brother-in-law. Judge Sutherland, 
notwithstanding his former preference for Mr. Tall- 
madge, was not deemed objectionable by those who 
preferred the latter, and had expected the co-operation 
of Mr. L. The relationship and known intimacy be- 
tween Mr. Livingston and the judge, was of itself a 
sufficient apology ; particularly when taken in connec- 
tion with the conceded fact, that the latter was a man 
of strict integrity, pure character, and respectable 
talents. The objectionable feature, if any, was, that 
Mr. Livingston, after his profTer of support to Mr. 
Tallmadge, and then withdrawing that support, should 
have made, or allowed himself to be made, the transfer 
agent, when he found the judge could not succeed. 
That matter was commented on, and was generally 
conceded by both sections of the party, that some other 
one should have been selected to perform that opera- 
tion ; but as Mr. Tallmadge had succeeded, his friends 
did not feel disposed to be censorious, and the affair 
was soon dropped or smoothed over, so that harmony 
was restored. 

I do not suppose the success of Mr. Tallmadge was 
agreeable to Mr. Van Buren ; or that he was then oi 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 311 

subsequently reconciled to it. He undoubtedly wanted 
some other man, and one on whom he thought he 
could rely with more confidence than on Mr. T., to 
carry out the party measures that would probably 
arise. Hence, when Mr. Tallmadge faltered, in regard 
to the independent treasury recommended by Mr. Van 
Buren, though he was sustained by such men as Mr. 
Rives, John P. King, Hugh S. Legare, with an in- 
numerable host of sterling democrats, whose attach- 
ment and fidelity to democratic principles had never 
been doubled, his hesitanc3'' on this one point, was 
made the pretext for a proscriptive attack by the 
government organ. This was, with other matters in 
regard to the currency of the country, put forward and 
attempted to be made tests of party devotion. 

Many of the best democrats in the country regarded 
them as decidedly, pernicious, and calculated to em- 
barrass if not to destroy the banks then struggling for 
existence, as well as to depress the business of the 
country, so that the venerable Mr. Ritchie, whose ortho- 
doxy had never till now been doubted, was forced into 
opposition to many of those radical measures. 

Mr. Tallmadge being denounced by the organ, at 
Washington, the attacks were reiterated by those party 
papers, throughout the country, that sided with the 
president on this question, so that "recreant," "traitor," 
and " turncoat," were but moderate epithets that were 
constantly bestowed on him. An unrelenting warfare 
was the consequence, in which he and those democrats 
who had acted with him, not only repelled the attacks, 
but carried the war into the ranks of the administration 
with such vigor and effect, that in the election of 1840, 
Mr. Van Buren was defeated by a vote that, consider- 
ing his strength in 1S36, was more overwhelming than 
any candidate had ever sustained. 



313 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
» 

Legislative jnatters. — Makers and bidorsers Uahle in same 
Action. — Act to -prevent unnecessary Litigation. — Ln- 
prisonment for Deht abolished. — Resolution against the 
Re-charter of United States Bank. — Small Bill Law. — 
Democrats refuse its repeal, and are defeated in 1838. — 
Suspension of Specie Payments attributed to United 
States Bank Controversy. — Inflation of Currency and 
Over-trading. — Deposit Banks required to discount liber- 
ally. — Afterwards denounced. — Bankers under a Cloud. — 
Hard Money Gentry in Sunshine.— Almost Universal 
Bankruptcy. — Mr. Van Buren defeated in 1840. — Glance 
at some of the Causes of Defeat. 

Nine j'^ears legislative services necessarily connected 
me witii many important matters that came up from 
year to year. Three times I assisted in districting the 
state, viz. in 1826, for senators and assembly ; in 1831 
or 1832, for members of congress; and in 1836, for 
senators and assembly men, under the state census 
then recently taken. As chairman of the judiciary 
committee, I concocted and brought in a bill, authoriz- 
ing the joining of makers and irtdorsers of negotiable 
paper in the same suit, thus saving debtors large 
amounts of cost, that used to be made by bringing 
separate actions. This law, though not perfectly ac- 
ceptable to the legal profession at the lime, has worked 
well ; and ho one would now think of repealing, and 
going back to the old order of things. 

Another act entirely my own, and brought in on 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 313 

notice " to prevent unnecessary litigation," was pushed 
through the senate, and then through the house, after 
a stubborn opposition from the lawyers. The principle 
assumed by the bill was, that the public had an interest 
in keeping the higher courts clear of litigation for trifling 
sums ; which, from the amount of costs growing out 
of such suits, were accumulating in court; were fiercely 
contested, to the delay of important business ; and in 
the end, very often ruined the litigants. I have known 
suits brought from justice's courts to the supreme court, 
and thence to the court for correction of errors, where 
the amount in controversy was less than a dollar ; and 
would wind up with many hundred dollars of costs. 

The bill introduced did not prevent, nor was it 
intended to prevent suits involving important legal ques- 
tions from going to the higher courts ; but it regu- 
lated and restricted the right, by making the decision 
on appeal in the common pleas conclusive, unless an 
order was obtained from a judge that the case was a 
proper one to be carried up. This was not a new 
principle, but was applying an old principle to a new 
set of cases. The bill in my judgment was perfectly 
proper, and tended to prevent ruinous litigation, and 
promote peace in neighborhoods. In the senate I had 
no great difficulty in getting it through ; but I felt sure 
it would be opposed by the legal gentlemen in the 
other house, where there were quite a large number. 

To ward off their opposition, T called on Doctor 
Elye, of Otsego, and General Lockv/ood, of West- 
chester, members of the house, and explained the bill 
to them, requesting them to look to it if it met their 
approbation, as I had no doubt it would. They were 
shrewd and intelligent, and both of them plain but 
strong debaters ; seizing the prominent point, and 



314 REMINISCENCES 

urging it with force and ability ; while they parried or 
demolished the arguments of adversaries. 

The bill, though reported against by the judiciary 
committee, and sturdily opposed in the assembly, was 
sustained by Elye, Lockwood, and others, and became 
a law. 

M}^ votes w^ere uniformly in favor of concessions to 
firemen, whose important, arduous, and dangerous 
services to protect lit'e and property, are still very 
poorly requited. In reference to all the important 
legislation for the city of New York, growing out of the 
disastrous fire in 1835, I stood by the senators from 
that city, and rendered all the services possible ; 
though some senators from the country took a very 
illiberal, and in my judgment, reprehensible course in 
opposition. 

When the bill abolishing imprisonment for debt 
(introduced and advocated by Silas M. Stillwell, a 
talented member from New York,) was passed, I was a 
member of the judiciary committee in the senate, and 
reported and voted for the bill. Out of deference to the 
supposed rights of creditors, and to make it altogether 
prospective in its operation, I was in favor of applying 
the new law to new contracts only ; a concession that 
I would not now make to creditors, or any one else. 
Subsequent reflection has convinced me that the credi- 
tor has no vested right, implied or otherwise, in the 
person or liberty of his debtor, from the mere fact of 
delinquency in payment. The power to imprison, was 
a remedy, and not a right. It formed no part of the con- 
tract, but was merely a remedy to enforce a right ; so 
that abolishing imprisonment was not a violation of 
contract, by " impairing its obligation." As well might 
it be argued, that a law requiring six months notice of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 315 

mortgage sale, where it had been only four, was a 
violation of contract. Imprisonment may serve as a 
punishment to debtors, for improvident contracts, — it 
may coerce a dishonest debtor occasionally, and make 
him disgorge where he has concealed means; but as it 
was generally used, it was more likely to coerce friends 
of the debtor, or his family, to step in and from sympathy 
pay the debt; which the creditor had no more moral 
right to exact from friends, than to obtain it by disreputa- 
ble devices. It was in fact the coercement of poverty, 
through the sympathy of friends. The jail is a poor place 
to pay debts. It breaks down the spirit and destroys the 
courage of the debtor ; oppresses and disheartens his 
family ; and generally was of little use to the creditor, 
except as it ministered to gratify malevolent feelings. 
It was a stain on the statute book, which being blotted 
out, no legislator will be likely again to restore- 
Soon after the commencement of my first senatorial 
term, the re-charter of the United States Bank began to 
be agitated, and soon became a question of deep 
interest. The business of the country was so mixed 
and connected with the bank in all its ramifications, 
that it is not surprising that merchants and business 
men generally desired its re-charter. Had this been 
conceded before the conflict commenced, in regard to 
its continuance, the capital of the bank would have pro- 
bably been unimpaired, and would have been useful. 
But the bank felt strong ; and counting upon an almost 
certainty of re-charter, was neither disposed to yield its 
pretensions or make concessions to political power. It 
was unfortunate for the country in any event ; for it 
must of necessity draw banking and other business 
matters into the vortex of party politics. 

As potent for good as the bank wiLh a sound capital 



316 REMINISCENCES 

and discreet management might have been, it was found 
equally potent for evil, before the contest was ended. 
The democratic part3S under the lead of Gen. Jackson, 
became arrayed against it, and neither party seemed 
disposed (o yield or conciliate. -jf/y 

A resolution against the re-charter,' known as Deitzs 
resolution, was introduced in the. senate. It was drawn 
by Nathaniel P. Tallmadge or myself; and I am sure 
that I took charge of it, and got Col. Deitz to introduce 
it. The resolution barely expressed an opinion against 
the re-charter of the bank, and was introduced by Col. 
Deitz, because on consultation it was deemed advisable 
to have it put forward by one of the " lay members," 
as they were called, and Col. Deitz was selected to do 
the needful. Being connected with a state bank, I did 
not deem it politic to introduce it myself, but I agreed 
to stand by the resolution and the mover. 

In due time it was called up, and debated at great 
length, when several democratic senators as well as all 
on the other side in politics, were found in opposition to 
the resolution, so that there was danger of its rejection, 
as the senate stood, on one day of the debate. Col. 
Geer, of Saratoga, who we relied upon, was absent, 
having gone home and was not expected to return in 
several days. It was necessary therefore to have him 
back before the vote was taken ; and those in favor of 
the resolution must debate, and talk it over for the day, 
that the senate might adjourn before voting. Towards 
the close of that day's session, I got the floor and moved 
an adjournment, which was agreed to; and this entitled 
me to the floor, on taking up the resolution the next day. 
A short consultation was held among the friends of the 
resolution, and it was agreed to debate the question till 
Col. Geer could be brought in. I went to a livery stable 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 317 

keeper and enquired how long it would lake him to go 
for and return with Col. Geer ? He said by starting 
immediately and driving all night, he could be back the 
next day by 11 or 12 o'clock. He was started off, and 
it cost me a good round sum for the job, but as the 
resolution had been moved, we were determined to put 
it through. The senate met at ten, and we supposed 
the resolution would come up in the order of business, 
not far from eleven o'clock. On calling it up, I com- 
menced the debate, intending to keep the floor till Geer 
arrived, or only to yield it to a friend of the resolution. 
Soon after. Senator Tracy, who was against it, ex- 
pressed a wish that the vote might be taken without 
further debate, — precisely what the opponents of the 
bank intended to prevent, — and he was told that we were 
not ready. Pretty soon Senator Geer came in, shortly 
before twelve o'clock, when Mr. Tracy pla3^fully 
remarked (looking significantly at Geer,) that he 
perceived we had exhausted the subject matter of 
debate, and were now ready for the vote ; which being 
assented to, it was taken ; and thus was passed the 
resolution against the bank. Rather a farce to look at 
it now, but things more queer have been often done in 
legislative bodies. 

Col. Geer expressed many thanks for being deemed 
worthy to be sent for. and said he should have been 
sadly mortified, had he been absent and not voted for 
the resolution, which being democratic, he highly ap- 
proved of; and the more so as emanating from his friend 
Col. Deitz. 

Though interested in safety fund banks lo a con- 
siderable amount, in proportion to the value of my 
property, I voted for the free banking law, and that too 
on the most liberal plan desired by its friends. 



3i8 REMINISCENCES 

Subsequent amendments have made the provisions 
of that law safe, and salutary ; and free banking is 
becoming the order of the day. When I first went to 
the senate, fears were entertained by those who wanted 
new banks, that my interest was so blended with old 
ones, that I would not vote for new. In this they were mis- 
taken, as they found me, if any thing, too liberal in 
voting for charters. 

The Otsego county, Herkimer county, and Mont- 
gonjery county banks were supposed by many to 
interfere with the central, in which I was interested ; 
yet I voted for these and many others, without the slight- 
est injury to the central. No better country banks with 
small capitals can be found in the state, than the three 
or four above named ; or that have been better managed 
in reference to business men as well as stockholders. 
In 1835 I voted to restrain the issue of bills below the 
denomination of five dollars, generally known as the 
" small bill law." I never beheved it necessary, right, 
or expedient ; but it was one of the party measures of 
the day, to restrict the circulation of "paper currency." 
and had been resolved as a necessary and proper reform, 
both by the county and senatorial conventions that 
nominated me for re-election. I must of course vote 
for and sustain the measure, or decline the nomination. 
This law in the end contributed more than any one 
measure to prostrate the democratic party in the state. 
We got along with it pretty well for the two first years ; 
the small bills of New England coming in and taking 
the place of our own, though we had a statute against 
the circulation of small notes of other states. 

Still the law was a dead letter, and those foreign 
bills were received and passed freely by almost every 
one, except corporations, whose charters were declared 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEy. 319 

forfeited in case they violated the law. The public 
seemed restive under the snnall bill law, and the great 
mass could not comprehend the reasoning of politicians 
in favor of suppressing our own, when foreign notes 
would circulate freely and with impunity: or why a 
bank that was good for its five dollar notes was not just 
as safe for those of smaller denominations. 

It was the suspension of specie payments, in 1S37, 
and embarrassments from want of small bills, growing 
out of that state of things, that rendered the law per- 
fectly odious to the great body of the people ; and in 
the end led to its repeal, after the democratic party had 
been signally defeated. Had the operation of the law 
been suspended during the suspension of the banks, as 
it ought to have been, it is by no means certain that 
such an overwhelming defeat would have followed ; 
though the stringent measures at Washington, and the 
severe embarrassments of the times, were tending 
towards a revolution of parties that could hardly be 
averted. 

On passing the law legalizing bank suspensions, on 
the last day but one of the session of 1837, senator 
Tracy, of Buffalo, introduced a bill on notice, to sus- 
pend the operation of the small bill law, till the banks 
resumed payments. A large majority of the senate 
were for passing it, and would undoubtedly have done 
so; had the session continued two days longer; but it 
was defeated on purely technical grounds, by one of 
the senators who was radically ultra in his feelings 
against banks, and in favor of a specie currency. We 
had four or five senators who leaned strongly that way, 
who by objecting" (under the rules) against giving the 
bill the required number of readings the same day, 
stove it off, and the legislature adjourned at the hour 
already fixed by concurrent resolutions of the two 



320 KEMINISCENCES 

houses. This left the matter precisely as every whig 
politician desired, who looked to the success of his 
party as a paramount object : for the democrats having 
large majorities in both houses, and having introduced 
and passed the small bill law, in opposition to the 
whigs, and now refused to suspend it, were responsible 
for its existence, and for its inconveniences; which the 
whigs were not slow in demonstrating. It was only 
necessary to pass through the state in any direction, 
to satisfy one's-self from the general clamor, that the 
bill was odious, and that the people desired its repeal. 
Still the state officers, known as the Albany regency, 
or the most of them, could not view it in this light ; 
nor did politici.ans at Washington, who gave tone to 
political matters at Albany, heed the warning. When 
the legislature came together, in January, 1S38, a 
large majority of the senate, though still democratic, 
thought the law should be repealed or modified. Every 
whig was of course clamorous for its repeal; and even 
among the democrats, a decided majority thought it 
best to get rid of it, or at least to suspend its operations. 
All the radical senators were for keeping it as it was, 
as were also four or five others, who on this point went 
with them, though not generally on man}^ others. 
Caucuses were held, and among the democratic senators 
there was a majority who thought it best to yield to 
what appeared the popular wish, and make the con- 
cession with as good a grace as possible, instead of 
resisting, and in the end have to yield, or break down 
in attempting to sustain it. 

Those state officers who seemed to take their cue 
from Washington, and those senators who were for 
letting the law stand and risk consequences, urged it 
as a democratic measure — that we had passed the 
small bill law, and made it a distinctive point of party 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 321 

policy, and to repeal it, as the whigs urged, (for they 
did not then ask its suspension, but went for repeal) 
wofild be falling back and abandoning our position. 
Not wishing to divide the party, and thus have a 
family quarrel, a majority of the democratic senators 
concluded to leave it as it was, and let the state officers 
take the consequences of the course which they advised 
with so much pertinacity. 

When the bill from the assembly repealing the law 
was rejected in the senate, I think seventeen voted 
against the repeal, an ominous number, that caused a 
laugh among senators, and extended to the lobby. 
The discussions in caucus had been warm, but on the 
whole courteous and friendly, and there was a dispo- 
sition by concessions to keep the party together, though 
a majority of democratic senators expressed decided 
opinions, that by persisting, the party would be de- 
feated at the next election. The late Micah Sterling, 
Judge Skinner, and John Beardsley, then senators, and 
several others, stated this as their belief, in positive 
terms. It is more than probable, that a portion of the 
senators who believed it best to repeal or suspend the 
small bill law, but who finally yielded the point, on 
the urgent recommendations of those state officers who 
seemed to coincide in views with the radical senators, 
voted against the repeal, under a full conviction that 
in the end it would displace those officers. The 
democratic party had become divided in sentiment — 
one portion apparently desiring to restrict and cripple 
banks, if not to destroy them, and then to substitute 
a metalic currency, or a much larger proportion of the 
precious metals : while the other party desired to 
sustain them, and believed to do so, it was necessary 
to pursue a liberal course of legislation, that should 
21 



322 REMINISCENCES 

invite capital, that should not alarm stockholders, and 
that should foster and encourage banking institutions, 
so essentially mixed with the business of the country, 
that to destroy or depress the one, must necessarily 
cripple and paralyze the other. 

Probably both parties carried their views too far, 
and that a medium course would have been better for 
all ; but it is certain that at Washington, those that 
seemed to represent the views of the administration, 
Avere decidedly anti-hank in their feelings ; and many 
Albany politicians took their cue from that quarter. 
Hence it is not improbable that several senators, who 
thought the warfare against banks and corporations 
unjust as well as inexpedient, voted against the repeal 
of the small bill law, with an almost certainty that its 
continuance would in the end displace those state 
officers, who if they did not encourage assaults on the 
currency of the state, did nothing to prevent them, but 
rather sustained the assailants. 

Almost any man of ordinary capacity, could not 
fail to understand, that popular sentiment was against 
the law ; but as the greater part of the state officers 
could not or would not so regard it, I think a portion 
of senators were willing to leave the law as it was, and 
let the state officers take their chance, if the party was 
defeated. 

I recollect of hearing a conversation with one of 
the state officers who held a prominent and influential 
station, in which a senator remarked, " that they (the 
officers) held important positions, which would pro- 
bably be lost. That their vision would be more clear 
after the election. That the party would go to the 
d — 1, and the officers with it ; and it was no great 
matter how soon, if they were so blind or prejudiced, 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 323 

that they could not see which way the popular current 
was setting." This was all in good nature, but was 
nevertheless true. The election came off in the fall. 
Governor Marcy was defeated by an overwhelming 
majority; Governor Seward was elected; and the 
whigs were triumphant in every part of the state. 
The small bill law was repealed; and since that time 
no politician in the state has ventured to "burn his 
fingers," by " tinkering" in that way the currency, or 
attempting to re-enact the odious law. The truth is 
it was unwise, and should never have been made a 
party question, or adopted. 

The suspension of specie payments, with all the 
embarrassing and calamitous circumstances, may be 
traced to conflicts and assaults on the currency, with 
inflations and contractions growing out of the " United 
States Bank^^ controversy. This was the primary 
cause. Having lived through these convulsions, and 
seen that bank killed and buried, I hope never to see 
another chartered. It probably never would have 
been authorized, except for the embarrassments under 
which we labored, on closing the war with England. 
The attempt to renew its charter brought on the 
conflict, that in the end drew the state banks and the 
business of the country into the vortex, to the manifest 
injury of all : resulting in the destruction of the bank, 
the suspension of specie payments, almost universal 
bankruptcies, and nearly destroying the credit and 
means of the government. Nothing but a resort to 
loans and treasury notes saved the national treasury 
from absolute disgrace. I know it will be said, and 
has been said a thousand times, that over-trading, with 
rash, improvident speculations in 1835 and '6, led to 
the calamitous results, which is undoubtedly true to 



324 REMINISCENCES 

a large extent, if secondary causes only are referred to : 
but the question is, wliat induced these speculations, 
over-trading, and the spirit of gambling in stocks, and 
in short everything else, that so generally pervaded the 
country? The answer is, an inflation of the currency. 
And what was the leading cause of this injlatio7i? It 
was the removal of the deposits, and placing them in 
state banks, with ojicial intimations that they were 
expected to take the place of the United States bank, 
in making liberal discounts. This intimation, published 
throughout the country, placed the banks in such a 
position, that the public felt that they had claims on 
• them. Theij had the government money, which be- 
longed to the people ; were making money out of it ; 
and the people had a right to borrow their own money, 
and on liberal terms. This had been intimated from 
head quarters ; and the banks having accepted the 
deposit, must carry out the expected terms of the 
compact. Hence they wished to conciliate the public, 
lest the *' deposits" might be withdrawn, and they 
become unpopular. Nor was this all. Many banks 
were chartered, in every part of the country ; some to 
obtain a portion of the deposits, and others to do 
business, and thus fill the vacuum caused by the 
winding up of the United States Bank. It must be 
borne in mind, that in 1834 the state banks had been 
driven almost to suspension, by the curtailments of 
the United States Bank, and the alarm and agitation 
growing out of the contest for renewal of its charter. 
This was \\\e panic season, when the legislature, under 
the advice of Governor Marcy, authorised a state loan 
to sustain the state banks. 

The United States bank, under wicked and short- 
sighted advice, attempted to coerce a renewal of its 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 325 

charter, by pressing and embarrassing the business 
men and the business of the country. That it mani- 
fested such jjoiver for evil, confirmed those opposed to 
it, in a more stubborn resistance to its re-charter, and 
a determination to effect its overthrow at every hazard. 

The state of Pennsylvania stepped in and gave it a 
state charter. The bank took another tack, and not 
having coerced by curtailment, a renewal of its national 
charter, it determined to discount with an unsparing 
hand, as if foreseeing the result that was so soon to 
come, and not caring what that result should be, or the 
embarrassments that might grow out of it. Thus with 
the large issues by this and the state banks, the currency 
became inflated, a vast amount was added to the 
circulating medium, currency was abundant, everyone 
had credit and could command any amount of discount, 
for credit seemed to be the basis of all monetary trans- 
actions. Bread stufTs and provisions, and in short every 
thing saleable advanced rapidly in price beyond any fair 
estimate of cash value. Speculations became rife ; friends 
of government officers, state and national, and officers 
themselves rushed madly into contracts. The demo- 
cratic organs congratulated the country on the success 
of the experiment, and demonstrated its prosperity anu 
its ability to get on just as well without the United 
States bank, and a little better. 

Every thing appeared calm and smooth on the sur- 
face. Trade was brisk ; the national debt had been 
paid off; the treasury was overflowing, and required 
depletion ; but a storm was gathering. First came the 
treasury circular, which creating alarm and embarrass- 
ing purchasers, brought the speculators up with a 
*' round turn." Then tricks and devices were resorted 
to, by those having the public monies, by loaning specie 



326 REMINISCENCES 

to applicants, for lands ; wheeling it out of the office, 
and then wheeling it back to pay for land entries. 
Many defalcations on the part of officers having charge 
of the funds took place ; they were squandered, and 
good old " Uncle Sam" pocketed the loss. 

The banks foreseeing, or fearing a storm, began to 
curtail and take in sail. Debtors were required to pay. 
Assaults were daily made by the public press, (partic- 
ularly that portion that had the confidence of the 
administration,) against speculators and the banks. 
Credit was first shocked, then impaired, and finally 
destroyed. Bankers, as well as speculators, were 
represented as unsafe advisers, even in political matters. 
Many of those who had assisted in elevating Mr. Van 
Buren to his distinguished position, who had sustained 
his safety fund system, spent their money freely, and 
stuck to him " through evil and through good report," 
were unceremoniously in the end thrust aside ; while 
the rampant ultra democrat, who warred against all 
banks and paper currency, as well as against credit, 
was smiled upon, and condescendingly courted from 
high quarters, as worthy of all favors and confidence. 

The catastrophe finally came ; the banks exploded, 
and with their suspension went the state bank deposit 
system. The administration saw their own project 
had proved a failure, but they had not the magnanimity 
to divide, and take their share of the odium attached 
to it. They threw nearly the whole blame on the banks, 
which had but little more than cairied out the policy 
prescribed to them when the pubhc deposits were placed 
in their vaults. Hence, almost daily tirades appeared 
in the government paper, under the immediate eye of 
Mr. Van Buren, denouncing banks and bankers, and 
speculators as very little better than pick-pockets. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 327 

Many of his confidential friends were deeply imbued 
with the speculating mania, and had to submit to the 
prescribed casligation. The " foul spirit" of specula- 
tion must needs be exorcised, if not actually cast out. 
A free purgation among oflScials and their friends was 
deemed necessaiy ; and so far as the public knew them, 
they seemed to take it meekly, and to submit with 
christian fortitude. But, not to speak ironically, I have 
always looked on this attempt of Mr. Van Buren, to 
countenance prejudices against his old friends and sup- 
porters, who had done so much to elevate him to power, 
merely because they were interested in banks, and 
were unwilling to sacrifice them and their property with 
them, as altogether indefensible. It seemed to be an 
attempt to court the radicals who were opposed to all 
banks, and thus sustain an anti-bank party; if not a 
party based on prejudices against property and capital, 
as well as banks. Perhaps I do him injustice without 
intending it ; but I cannot believe those denunciatory, 
anti-bank articles, in the Washington Globe, the then 
oflficial organ, would have continually appeared, and in 
numerous other radical papers, had he discountenanced 
them. 

The inference was irresistible, that he looked upon 
those interested in banks with disfavor and suspicion ; 
and knowing that their interest would naturally prompt 
them to go for measures to sustain the banks, and there- 
by place them in opposition to the cherished proscrip- 
tions of those who seemed to represent his views, he 
intended to make up in numbers, for their loss, from the 
ranks of the radicals. 

The times however, became too hard to sustain any 
party, or set of men, who attempted to place themselves 
on such narrow prejudices; for the poor and laboring 



32S REMINISCENCES 

classes suffered quite as much, and even nnore than men 
of property ; and in the end the laborers and middling 
classes were the most efficient agents in producing his 
defeat. 

The consequences growing out of the suspension of 
bank payments were ruinous to debtors. The currency 
must be greatly reduced before the banks could resume 
and stand on a specie basis. At least three-fourths or 
more must be called in, the effect of which was, that 
property that had cost $4,000, would hardly bring 
$1,000, as the latter sum was the representative of 
value, on the reduction of the currency. But that was 
not all ; the general embarrassment and bankruptcy 
induced a desire and necessity to sell. Property must 
go: large quantities were thrown on the market, and 
very few wished to purchase, and only then at ruinous 
rates, as much below actual value, as they had been 
above, before the suspension. 

My pecuniary affairs suffered tremendously under 
this state of things. It destroyed several who were my 
debtors, and rendered the securities relied on for pay- 
ment nearly worthless. I can never dwell on these 
disastrous times, without feeling that I have been injured 
and lost many thousand dollars, from the mere fact of 
these assaults on ^anks and bankers, and on credit. 

It is bad enough, nay too bad, to lose the fruits of 
persevering industry, under any circumstances ; but 
■when coupled with abuse and sneers, and those too from 
men you have helped to elevate and sustain, it is doubly 
painful. It was too much, and too repulsive to the feelings 
of an intelligent man, claiming the right to think for 
himself, to require him, as a test of fidelity, not only to 
sacrifice his property and judgment, and pretend to 
approve a policy which he believed wrong, and which 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 329 

he knew was destructive, merely to keep in favor with 
the leaders of his party, and retain a seeming consis- 
tency of going " strait ahead" without regard to 
consequences. Still I voted for Mr. Van Buren, in 
1840 ; not because I approved his course, or the general 
scope of those newspaper articles referred to, but 
because I did not wish to separate from the democratic 
party with which I had always acted. 

The breaking off from party associates, and taking 
an antagonistic position, even when you believe they 
are wrong, is extremely unpleasant ; and political men 
wish to avoid it. Mr. Van Buren, himself, has probably 
found it so ; and by this time has learned that it is 
neither pleasant or profitable to array himself against 
a great popular party, particularly one that has ad- 
vanced and sustained him in the highest national 
positions. When his old New York friends, who had 
sustained him in his own state, and assisted to elevate 
him in the national councils, were placed in the shade, 
they felt aggrieved, and thought they had good cause to 
complain ; but when he adopted the sectional Buffalo 
platform, and united with former adversaries, against 
former friends, the republicans of the Union were out- 
raged ; for they had sustained him under almost every 
vicissitude 

An additional reason for my sustaining him in 
1840, was the fact that the banks had resumed specie 
payments; and as it was quite apparent his adminis- 
tration would be strengthened by sustaining them, I 
felt sure he would do nothing willingly to cripple or 
bring them into discredit again. It was apparent 
however, that votes and efforts for his re-election 
would be in vain, as no one who observed the indica- 
tions before the election, could fail to se-^- that his 



330 REMINISCENCES 

defeat was inevitable. The times were. too hard for 
him to succeed. The people felt that his rule had 
been an •' iron rule ;" that they could not be worse 
off by a change ; and hence they determined to put 
him down, as they did most effectually at that election, 
and as I have no doubt they would in 1S44, had he 
been the candidate. One item in making up the 
prejudices of the people against his administration, 
was the course pursued by some of those holding office 
under him. They received their pay in specie, which 
bore a high premium. While private citizens were 
content to take bank notes for products, and for debts 
due them, they were annoyed for change, and some- 
times for specie, by captious creditors, which, if com- 
pelled to procure, must be had at a large advance. 
Office holders, instead of paying away their gold, 
which as it bore a premium could hardly be expected, 
would frequently tantalize the citizen, by denouncing 
bank paper as worthless " rags ;" and while lauding 
his specie currency, for which he realized large profits, 
would boast of his extraordinary good luck, in holding 
a position that gave him such advantages. Such things 
were not pleasant ; and with rankling, outraged feel- 
ings, they were generally scored against the adminis- 
tration ; and hence the catch words so much harped 
on by the whigs — " Gold for office-holders, and rags 
for the people." 

The ultra manifestations of Mr. Van Buren, and 
those who had his confidence, drove off a large num- 
ber who had formerly supported him. They were 
active, intelligent, persevering democrats — many of 
them men of property and influence — who became 
alarmed, and thought they saw in his measures and 
recommendations, absolute ruin to themselves and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 831 

Ikmilies. This feeling was prevalent among many, 
who finally stayed with and voted the democratic 
ticket; but that portion who went off and organized 
as conservatives, were his most active and efficient 
opponents, as well as most bitter. 

The course taken by Mr. Van Buren in regard to 
banks, after their suspension, was very different from 
that pursued b}'- the secretary of the treasury, towards 
the banks that suspended during the war with Eng- 
land. Mr. Crawford, and indeed the whole cabinet 
and administration of which he was a member, did 
all that could well be done to aid the banks in resuming 
payments. They had sustained the government during 
the war, by numerous loans and advances. Governor 
Tompkins had raised large sums from the banks in 
the city of New York ; and the government felt it due 
to the banks, to treat them kindly and help them 
forward. Had this course been pursued by Mr. Van 
Buren, I have no doubt the losses to government would 
have been much less ; the embarrassments and dis- 
tresses of the people would have been greatly amelio- 
rated ; trade would have gone on more briskly, and 
the government revenues would have been largely 
augmented. But a different, and the most rigid course 
imaginable, was resolved on, and persisted in ; as if 
government aimed at nothing short of punishing, if 
not destroying the banks ; as well as creditors and 
debtors whose fortunes were to a great extent indissolu- 
bly connected with them. It was even suggested to 
place the banks and corporations under a national 
bankrupt law, that would have enabled the general 
government to crush and svweep them all out of exis- 
tence. Mr. Van Buren did not manifest his usual 
sagacity, when he thus lost so many, and such influ- 



332 REMINISCENCES 

ential members of the party. By some slight con- 
cessions and timely manifestations of kind feelings, he 
could have retained many of them ; and probably a 
large majority of those who finally left him. He should 
have counted well his strength, before casting off such 
a body of men, and driving them into opposition. He 
felt strong however, even up to the election, and could 
not believe that party attachments and party discipline, 
which had so strongly sustained him in 1830, could be 
subverted in 1S40. I know that the views above 
advanced, in regard to the inflation of the currency, 
as resulting from the government policy of depositing 
with state banks, with intimations to discount, would 
have been controverted when the banks failed, and 
these matters were the subject of partizan controversy. 
Perhaps they may be controverted now. The admin- 
istration organs then, charged it wholly to the banks 
and speculators ; but will any candid man, who re- 
collects the events and discussions of those times, now 
deny, that the inflation mainly resulted from the deposit 
system ? the free discounts of the state banks, stimu- 
lated by these deposits, the multiplication of banks, 
to fill the vacuum caused by the expected withdrawal 
of the United States Bank; and the unlimited issue 
of that bank, after it obtained its state charter? The 
panic season was in 1S34. at which time the inflation 
and over-trading had not occurred. But little more 
than two years elapsed, before a general suspension 
of payments took place all over the country ; and it 
really appeared as if the mammoth bank, when it 
found it could not coerce a charter by withholding 
discounts, was willing, by an expansion, to crush the 
state institutions, if not to fall with them, and Sampson- 
like, to bury itself and them under the ruins. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 833 

It seems to me, that the over-trading and specula- 
tions of that disastrous period, were the results of over- 
issues growing out of that change of government policy, 
and the other causes referred to. Those who admi- 
nistered the government, and advised and adopted that 
policy, should have had the magnanimity to have 
admitted and taken their share of the responsibility, 
instead of evading and throwing the whole obloquy 
on others ; but this they did not dc 



334 REMIMSCENCES 



CHAPTER XIX 

Anti-Bank Feeling, and Repeal of Bank Charters. — Sackett'a 
Harbor and Lockport Bank Charters Repealed. — The 
former Restored at Subsequent Session. — Charges 
against Messrs. Bisltop and Kimball, with their Rcsig' 
nations. — Col. Young's Resolution, and Poor Law De- 
bate 

DuRiXG my second senatorial term, a strong anti-bank 
feeling manifested itself in the legislature, which was 
unquestionably stimulated by the course of the admi- 
nistration or2;an at Washincrton. 

No doubt the legislative leaders who were most 
prominent in denunciations against banks, paper mone}-, 
and credit, with their laudations of hard mone}- as a 
currency, took their cue from that quarter, and were 
encouraged by some of the state officers at Albany. 
The close intimacy betw"een them and the Albany 
officials, with whom they were often closeted, afforded 
incontestible evidence that these daily assaults on the 
state institutions ancf their conductors, were not 
unpalatable to those who seemed to have Mr. Van 
Buren's confidence, nor were they discountenanced by 
liim or the presses more immediately under o-overa- 
mental influence. 

Committees were raised, and the banks were 
required to answer interrogatories; and these legislative 



EY LEVI EEAEDSLEY. 33-5 

movements gave occasion to denounce the banks in 
advance, charging many of them with delinquencies as 
well as over trading. 

It is a marvel that with all the clamor-in and out of 
the legislature, against them and paper currency, that 
a panic had not been created, that had led to runs on 
the banks, and a total prostration even of those most 
sound. 

Several attempts were made to repeal charters, 
which I generally resisted, for I did not believe in that 
summary mode of disposing of questions, where private 
rights and interests might be sacrificed, and those too, 
where widows and infants, as well as others might be 
the sufferers. 

The Sackett's Harbor bank was assailed on a most 
frivolous pretext ; and after a debate, in which the 
bank and its managers, as well as banks in general 
were denounced, its charter was repealed. All I could 
honorably do to sustain it and preserve its charter, was 
done ; but the anti-bank feeling required a sacrifice, 
and was too strong, in this instance, to be resisted. la 
addition to general prejudices they existed especially 
against this bank, and against some of its managers. 
When its repeal was debated in the senate, its opponents 
asserted that the county of Jefferson, where it was 
located, was decidedly favorable to the measure, and 
would sustain the legislature in its action. 

In reply to these assertions, I took the other side, 
and predicted that the repeal would create an excite- 
ment that would make a restoration of the charter a 
test question, at the next election ; that members would 
be returned favorable to the re-establishment of the 
bank, which the next legislature would be glad to con- 
cede ; and that I should have the pleasure of voting 



336 REMTNISCEXCES 

with a majority of both houses to undo the wrong they 
were about to perpetrate. 

All of this happened at the next session, when the 
charter was restored by a decisive vote, though against 
the votes of many of its former opponents. 

In regard to the Lockport Bank, I departed from 
my usual position relative to repealing charters, and 
voted for the repeal of this, which was the only vote 
of the kind I ever gave. 

We had abundant evidence of most disreputable 
conduct on the part of the bank, not only vexatious, 
captious, and oppressive, but calculated, if overlooked, 
to throw discredit on all, as well as that particular 
institution. I thought it best to make it an example j 
for although there were doubtless many allegations 
that were merely the coinage of anti-bank gentlemen, 
and without any foundation in truth, j^et we had 
evidence of derehctions so shameful, that, with an 
indignant feeling I determined to move the repeal at 
the first opportunity, which being done, the charter 
was taken away. 

Proceedings against Messrs. Bishop and Kimball. 

Among other legislative measures, the complaint and 
proceedings against Messrs. Bishop and Kim.ball should 
be mentioned. The former was senator from the 
fourth, and the latter from the third district. They 
were charged with stock-jobbing, and attempting to 
control or so shape legislation, as to affect the prices 
of Harlaem railroad stock. A committee of investiga- 
tion was raised, testimony taken, and a report made 
that implicated both senators ; but in reference to Mr. 
Kimball was far more aggravated than in the case of 
Bishop. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 337 

The committee recommended the expulsion of each. 
There was apparently no great difference in opinion 
among senators, in regard to Kimball. All considered 
his conduct highly reprehensible ; and with the excep- 
tion of a few senators who denied the constitutional 
right of expulsioin, seemed prepared to turn him out 
of the senate. I had no doubt about the parliamentary 
right to expel; and though the argument of the sena- 
tors on the other side were strong and fortified by 
authorities, I was prepared to give a vote for expulsion, 
in reference to Kimball, unpleasant and painful as 
such a vote would have been. 

The morning the question was to be acted upon, 
he called on me at my room, while I was yet in bed, 
to know whether in my opinion he could be saved, 
when, receiving no encouragement, he made out and 
phaced in the hands of a senator, a letter to the presi- 
dent of the senate, resigning his place. In regard to 
Bishop, a majority of the senate were for censuring 
him, but were against expulsion. They thought the 
case in reference to him much mitigated, and that a 
reprimand or censure would be going far enough. 
Perhaps there was too much sympathy, but if there 
was it was on the side of mercy. Resolutions were 
passed nearly unanimously, in strong terms against 
each ; but in reference to Bishop, a mnjority refused 
to expel him. He however immediately resigned. 
That he was censured and not expelled, created a 
clamor of inconsistency on the part of senators who 
had censured, and yet had refused to expel, as if there 
were not degrees in offences as well as punishments! 
It Avas a most painful duty, in either aspect ; and 
I have no doubt those who voted against expulsion 
were as honest and conscientious as those who voted 
22 



338 REMINISCENCES 

for the extreme measure. They deemed censure 
without expulsion a sufficient punishment, while the 
others were for both. 

POOR LAWS. 

On the 31st of January, 1835, Col. Young intro- 
duced in the senate, without notice, a resolution that 
the standing committee on poor laws be instructed to 
prepare and report a bill for their repeal. He pro- 
ceeded to address the senate in an able manner, in 
favor of this his cherished proposition ; for he was a 
debater of no ordinary grade, clear and forcible, and 
often eloquent. He had read much, particularly on 
the subject of political economy, which with him was 
a favorite topic, and almost a hobby ; and he had also 
thought much of our, and other systems of pauper 
support. 

His leading proposition was, that it was not a 
matter that government should interfere with, but that 
relief for the poor should be left to the charities of 
the benevolent, who by voluntary contributions would 
relieve the necessities of those really worthy, and 
would discountenance those who were paupers from 
choice. That where provision was made by law, 
sturdy idle vagabonds would avail themselves of its 
benefits, as well as those who absolutely required 
assistance ; and thus the relief for pauperage served 
as a bounty to increase the number who depended on 
government for support. His resolution was radical, 
and went for cutting up the whole system of relief, by 
legal enactment, instead of amending and improving 
the law. The speech i'n favor of the resolution, as 
well as his subsequent reply to my remarks, were 
characterised by his usual tact and ability, and were 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 839 

published at the time. I laid them by, intending to 
preserve them ; but they are lost, which I very much 
regret, as I should be glad to insert them in this 
chapter, that the whole debate might appear. 

On concluding his first speech in favor of the 
resolution, I offered an amendment, which appears in 
connection with the proceedings of the senate, and of 
my remarks on the 16th of February, 1835, as publish- 
ed in the Albany Argus ; which proceedings and 
remarks were as follows : 

THE POOR LAWS. 

" RemarJcs of Mr. Beardsley in the Senate of New 
YorTcf February 16th, 1835, on a resolution instructing 
the committee on the jjoor laws to introduce a bill repealing 
all the laws for the support of the poor. 

" Mr. Young called for the consideration of the 
following resolution, offered by him on the 31st ult. 

" Resolved, That the standing committee on the 
poor laws be instructed to prepare and report a bill 
providing for the repeal of the poor laws of this state. 

" The question was on the following amendment, 
proposed by Mr. Beardsley : 

" And if the poor laws are to be abolished, that the 
committee report a substitute that shall require the rich, 
hard-hearted, and miserly citizen to contribute of his 
portion, as well as the philanthropic and benevolent 
citizen, to sustain the really worthy and helpless 
pauper. 

" Mr. Beardsley addresed the senate as follows : 

" Mr. President : — "When the gentleman from the 
fourth, (Mr. Young,) presented his resolution, instructing 
the committee to introduce a Bill for repealing the poor 



,340 REMINISCENCES 

laws, it. will be recollected, that I offered an amend- 
ment to his resolution, and that the resolution and 
amendment were laid on the table for further con- 
sideration. 

^' In. offering this amendment, I confess I did not 
expect a vote would be necessary on the point presented 
■ by it, for I could not believe that the proposition of the 
gentleman, for repealing all laws for the alleviation of 
jhelpless poverty, could be seriously entertained by the 
senate. 

" The gentleman's views I did know, for I had 
heard him express them in public debate on previous 
occasions, and in offering the amendment, I wished to 
present a prominent point of objection to his proposition, 
that in discussing his resolution, he might obviate the 
objection which I intended to present. 

"And here, I will take occasion to remark, that in 
offering that amendment which was drawn up in h^ste, 
I had.no intention of any personal illusion, or of giving 
cause for a moments unpleasant or unkind reflections. 

. " I make this statement, lest it may have been sup- 
posed that the amendment was intended for the 
gentleman personally, and because I have perceive.d a 
disposition on the part of certain journaUsts, to give it 
a personal application. 

/."The gentleman from the fourth, will do me the^ 
jus.tice to believe, that I intended no such allusion ; and 
whatever 1 may think of the propriety of his views on a 
great .question of public policy, no doubt honestly en- 
tertained, and sanctioned by high authority, T trust I 
shall not so far humble myself as to attempt to parry 
the force of his reasoning, by an unworthy effort, to 
excite prejudices that can have no proper bearing upon 
the discussion. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 



'^ft. 



,' ■ "The senate will also bear with me when I state 
^that'm presenting the amendment, I had no thought of 
'taking part in the debate on this question. 

" Political economy has not been my study ; while 
I am fully aware that the mover of the resolution has 
devoted much time to it, has reflected much, and is 
familiar with all that has been written on the subject, 
and in fact has written himself. 

" I cannot therefore hope to contend with him, by 
a familiar reference to authorities, nor would I now 
enter into this discussion, even superficially, as I must 
do if at all, had I not, by proposing to amend his 
resolution, seemed to put myself forward to sustain the 
proposition contained in that amendment. 

" Under this impression, I have concluded to sub- 
mit some crude old-fashioned reflections, and such as 
in my judgment may have a bearing upon the propo- 
sitions submitted for the consideration of the senate. 

" The proposition submitted for discussion is, not 
whether our poor laws are imperfect, and require 
amendment, but whether we are to have any legal 
provision for the support or alleviation of the poor. ' 

"I am not, under this resolution or amendment, 
called upon to maintain that our system is perfect, or 
that improvements are hot diesirable, or to deny that 
great abuses exist ; nor will I be dirawn into a dis- 
cussion of these matters, unless upon a proposition to 
amend or improve the system. ' 

,M Whenever a project is brought forward to amend 
the law and to correct abuses under it, by the gentle- 
man from the fourth, or any other senator, I proffer my 
services and my best exertions, feeble as they are, to 
go forward in what I consider a most laudable and 
humane undertakins:. 



342 REMINISCENCES 

" But when the proposition is, to prostrate all legal 
provision for the support of the poor, the aged, and 
the 3^oung ; the impotent, the insane, and infirm ; no 
matter whether better days have beamed upon them, 
and, in their declining years, the sun of prosperity has 
first waned, and then set in endless night, without a 
ray of hope for the future; no matter whether the man 
of sorrow is poor and cheerless, without friend or 
relative ; or whether his misfortunes have been induced 
by his own folly, or brought upon him by unavoidable 
accident; the whole legal obligation to feed the hungry, 
clothe the naked, and to visit the sick, is proposed to 
be blotted out; and against this proposition I must 
enter my protest. 

" I cannot consent at one fell swoop to uproot and 
overturn a system that has existed as long as a civilized 
government has existed in this country, upon any 
theory, however plausible and sanctioned by names 
however respectable. 

" The gentleman will agree with me, that numerous 
cases arise, where individuals by unavoidable acci- 
dents are reduced to poverty and great suffering, who 
are without friends, and yet entirely worthy of charita- 
ble support, and whose very existence depend upon 
prompt and continued relief, either from private or 
public charities. 

" The question then seems to be, whether in a 
civilized country and a government of law^s, this sup- 
port is to be left to mere chance ; and when assistance 
is absolutely necessary, is to be thrown exclusively 
upon the benevolent, or whether the whole community 
shall contribute to the necessary sustenance of a 
fellow-being. 

*' Now I respectfully contend that the gentleman's 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 343 

proposition is at war with the first principles, nay, 
the very elements of society. It is anti-social in the 
extreme ; it resolves society into first principles — into 
a state of nature, where every man takes care of 
himself, without reference to a dependence upon others. 
It is an easy matter to find fault with existing laws 
and existing establishments, but it has often been 
found a more difficult task to propose an adequate 
remedy, than to point out evils as they exist. 

" The advocates of the new system of pohtical 
economy denounce the poor laws as a monstrous evil, 
and while they are constrained to admit, that in every 
society objects will be found who, without fault on their 
part, are entirely dependent upon others for support, and 
must also admit, that without legal coercion this support 
will not only be uncertain, but must fall principally on 
the benevolent, yet no adequate remedv is proposed in 
lieu of our legal provisions. 

" Some writers propose to withhold support as a 
punishment for vice ; but suppose poverty has been 
induced from the vices of others ? then the punishment 
would be unjust. So also in cases of accident, disease, 
and misfortune. 

" I have recently been presented with a semi- 
annual report from a minister at large, as he styles 
himself, in the city of New York, who is eloquent in his 
denunciation of the poor laws, and yet admits that great 
actual suffering exists as well from unavoidable acci- 
dents, as from vicious propensities. — He finds it easy 
and convenient to denounce the law, but proposes no 
remedy except in reference to the spiritual wants of those 
to whom he ministers. I suppose the substance of his 
recommendation would be, to give a greater amount 
in money, to improve the spiritual condition of the 



344 REMINISCENCES 

poor, and to leave them to take care of themselves in 
reference to temporal matters. I am, however, inclined 
to believe, that a helpless starving family woiild edify 
but little under the pious exhortations of the worthy 
divine ; and where the gnawings of hunger prevailed, 
something more substantial would be required to support 
life, than the spiritual food which he would administer. 

" Now I am free to confess, that moral and religious 
instruction may do much to prevent vice and poverty, 
and to encourage a proper self respect that would 
deprecate a reliance on the poor laws for support, but 
it is going quite too far in the opposite extreme to 
recommend a withdrawal of all public support for the 
needy and infirm. 

"A legal provision for the support of the poor has 
always existed in this, and I believe in all the other 
states of the Union, unless it be Louisiania. Under this 
system we have prospered and grown rich, the country 
has made rapid improvements, taxes are light, and thus 
far we certainly have but little of which to complain. 

" Our laws have recently been revised, our pauper 
system improved, and after full consideration has been 
continued. I cannot, therefore, deem it necessary to 
say much to induce the continuance of this system, 
adopted by an almost unanimous expression of the 
r^resentatives of the people, and in fact in relation to 
county poor houses in many instances in effect, by the 
people themselves. 

"It is said they have no poor laws in Canada; if 
that be so, I presume ihat it will not be contended that 
Canada is more prosperous or the state of society better, 
than in our own state. What is the object of society ? 
and why do men surrender up a portion of their natural 
rights? It is because a community cannot exist with- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 34:B 

out such surrender; and when the surrender is made, 
it is upon an implied condition, that it shall receive 
protection from that community into whose keeping he 
has committed himself. 

"Hence the reciprocal duty of allegiance, on the 
part of the subject, and protection on the part of the 
government. Why should allegiance be required, un- 
less protection is afforded? ' Why should an individual 
be restrained from laying hands on any property within 
his reach, and not in the actual possession of another? 
In a state of nature, he would exercise this right, but 
by becoming a member of society, he renounces it, and 
your laws restrain him. You require your citizens to 
obey your laws, to make roads, pay taxes, and defend 
the country against invasion and insurrection. Nay 
more, you compel the whole community to support 
courts of justice, to pass upon the rights of citizens, and 
those rights too, of very trifling importance. — And 
shall I be told that it is right to compel a citizen to pay 
caxes, that a tribunal may be sustained to pass upon a 
fifty dollar controversy ? That he shall be compelled 
to fight the battles of his country, and perhaps in that 
very contest, find himself disabled, and then in his 
declining years be cast upon the world to perish, unless 
the hand of private charity is extended ? 

" Sir, the proposition in my judgment is absurd, and 
I am almost inclined to impute it, as the gentleman did 
the proposition, that the poor should be provided for by 
legal enactment as the result of deep rooted prejudice. 
And here I will remark further, that I have never heard 
it controverted by the advocates of this new system of 
political economy, that government at its own expense, 
or rather at the common expense, was not only bound 
to defend its citizens, but to provide tribunals that 



846 REMINISCENCES 

should secure to the citizen the right of property and all 
his civil rights, and 3'^et we shall be told that he who has 
spent his strength and best days in the service of the 
state, although entitled to protection, where a paltry 
sum is concerned, yet when disabled and unable to 
maintain himself, has no claim upon community for 
protection, except from the sympathies of those who 
may chance to behold him. 

" The gentleman will not deny, nor can he deny 
that in every community we have many ' rich men and 
hard-hearted miserly men,' who never gave and who 
never will give a dollar for benevolent purposes. You may 
as well talk to a block of marble, or think of thawing a 
northern ice-berg with a taper, as to soften their 
obdurate hearts by appeals of charity. You may tell 
them of the beauties of charity, that charity is a 
heavenly virtue, which ' droppeth like the gentle rain 
fi'om heaven upon the earth beneath.' ' That it is 
more blessed to give than to receive,' and yet 'they are 
deaf to the charmer, charm he never so wisely.' And 
why should such men be exempted from bearing their 
just proportion in the support of paupers, absolutely 
unable to support themselves. The property of the 
rich man is as well protected by your laws, as that of 
the poor man ; and in a contest with a foreign enemy, 
or in cases of insurrection, certainly a rich hard-hearted 
man stands as much in need of protection, as the bene- 
volent man. Why then should he be permitted to 
escape from paying his share to support the infirm ? 
and escape he will, if your laws are repealed. 

" But we are told that private charity will seek out 
and with a proper discrimination, between the worthy 
and unworthy applicants, cheerfully and promptly re- 
lieve the wants of the former. Suppose this to be so; 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 347 

I intend (if I have not already done so,) to show that it 
would be both impolitic and unjust, to throw the whole 
support of the poor on the benevolent. — But is it certain 
that private charities will be more discreetly bestowed, 
than under the direction of public officers, as practised 
under our system ? So far as the country is concerned, I 
believethereliefofthepoorisnot very onerous, and in my 
judgment but httle reason of complaint exists. Taxes 
are inconsiderable, except in your cities, where from 
the nature of the population, pauperism must exist to a 
greater extent than in the country. When private 
charity is bestowed, it is a great fault that the individ- 
ual applied to, often gives indiscriminately. He does 
this for the purpose of ridding himself of importunity 
and lest by refusing he may unintentionally deny relief 
to an applicant who is worthy of it. 

" Another objection is, that by leaving this support 
to private charity, you in a great measure throw it 
upon the middle classes ; for I maintain as a general 
proposition, that those who do most in active charities, 
are of that class, or those who have in most instances 
been the architects of their own fortune. I am aware 
there are honorable exceptions to this general rule ; 
but as a general proposition I am quite sure it will 
hold true. 

" The gentleman says, leave these matters to pri- 
vate charity, and paupers will be as promptly supported 
as ministers of the gospel. He says that churches 
are built, missionaries supported, and immense sums 
paid annually, to sustain and promote the general 
objects of rehgion and morality; and he asks whether 
men will give their money for distant and doubtful 
projects, when they have objects of charit}' .around 
them ? I suppose money will be sent abroad for re- 



'348 REMINISCENCES 

'iigious purposes, to supporr missionary and tract 
operations, whatever calls for private charity may be 
■'presented at home. . . ;, 

"It is not my business to inquire whether these 
are in all cases most discreetly bestowed. On that 
question men have different views ; but I am content 
to leave it to the decision of those who have whereof 
'to give ; and as a general remark it will be found true, 
that those who give most- for distant benevolent opera- 
tions', give most at home. Nor; do I consider that 
'giving for 'religious purposes, either in reference to 
building' churches, supporting the 'clergy, or supporting 
■misionary or tract operations, comes at all within the 
principle of supporting the poor.- ' Our constitution and 
•laws leave religious matters to be decided, according 
to the judgment and conscience of each individual'; 
but; recognizes no right to require the advance of a 
"dollar for religious purposes.' It is' all a moral coercionl 
•The man who believes it his duty, as a moral agent 
and accountable' being, to impart of his substance to 
sustain religion and propagate the gospel in fore'igii 
'countries,' will do so without la^v ; while he that doubts 
his duty in this respect, will withhold his funds, and 
our laws recognize his right to do so. > ' 

" But the support of such poor persons as are 
worthy of support, and unable to support themselves, 
I hold to be a duty imposed upon, the whole community 
by natural law, arising from the reciprocal obligatiori 
of allegiance and protection. Then why shift this 
responsibility from the public at large,- where it ought 
to rest, for the purpose of throvring it upon the benevo- 
lent, who not only pay their full proportion of taxes 
for all purposes of government, but give hberally and 
often almost improvidently,. for religious and philan- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 349 

ibroplc purposes? I confess I can see no propriety in 
so doing; and I will inquire how the advocates of this 
doctrine can distinguish between the obligation of 
society to support paupers, and the obligation of de- 
fending the country, supporting schools, academies, 
and colleges? Or am I to understand that these 
should all be left to private charity, and the enterprise 
of benevolent individuals? I am aware that when 
our present system of common schools was introduced, 
and attempted to be enforced by law, it was met by 
the wealthy with many objections. It was asked, 
why compel me to assist in building school houses and 
paying teachers for my neighbors? I educate my 
children abroad, and shall derive no benefit from your 
schools ; or, I have already educated my children, and 
l:^eing old myself, can expect no benefit from the 
system. And bachelors were prompt with their ob- 
jections. They had no children to educate, and why 
tax them ? These objections appeared plausible twenty 
years ago, when they were common, but probably 
\yould not now be listened to with much deference. 

*' Again, your insane paupers, so feelingly urged 
upon your favorable consideration by the governor, 
are I suppose to be left to private charity, as I can 
perceive no principle that will justify supporting one 
class of paupers, and turning others away who are 
equally helpless and worthy. And if this new doctrine 
is to prevail, I cannot perceive why it should not apply 
to your public improvements and public defence. Leave 
the whole to private charity, and the enterprise and 
patriotism of the citizen. Private charity and a spirit 
of patriotism will not only build your roads, bridges, 
and canals, but fight the battles of the country. This 
would enable the citizen soldier most emphatically to 



350 REMINISCENCES 

fight on his own hooJc, the coward to skulk from clanger, 
and the miser to hoard his wealth instead of paying 
his taxes. A most salutary system indeed to those 
who have weak consciences and weak nerves, and 
one that would greatly commend itself to the " peace 
party," as well as to those who are constitutionally 
opposed to war. All who had conscientious scruples 
would find a most convenient and consoling shelter 
under this system ; as no one would be compelled to 
fight except those who had " a stomach for it." But 
I will not push this point any further. My propositions 
are — 

" First : That there are a class of paupers who not 
only deserve support, but must have it, or they must 
perish. 

" Second : That in such cases it is right that this 
support be rendered at the public expense. 

" Third : That if you have no compulsory laws, 
this expense will fall almost entirely on the benevolent, 
as the miserly will refuse to give. 

" Fourth : that as a general remark, those who are 
most benevolent, (I mean according to their means) 
are the middle classes, and a repeal of the poor laws 
would throw the support of the poor almost entirely 
on that class. Besides, there is naturally a more im- 
mediate sympathy and connection between this class 
and the poor, than the rich and the poor. 

♦'Fifth: That without a legal enactment, the sup- 
port of paupers would necessarily be uncertain, and 
would lead to street begging, and consequently to 
great impositions. 

" But we are told that poor-laws are the relics of 
a semi-barbarous age, and were reared under the 
auspices of a monarchial government. Grant it if 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 851 

you please, and what then? They will not be laid 
aside for that cause only. The trial by jury is of 
much more remote origin, and yet no person would 
think of abrogating it. It is said that the poor laws 
are often abused, and that they sometimes hold out 
legislative premiums for pauperism. I do not dispute 
these assertions ; but am inclined to believe, that such 
has to a considerable extent, been their effect in 
England ; though as far as my knowledge extends in 
this country, poor people are very unwilling to go to 
the poor-house ; they would about as soon go to the 
state prison : nor do I doubt that our laws have held 
out inducements for foreign paupers to throw them- 
selves upon us for support. 

"If this be conceded, what does it prove? Why 
perhaps that our laws are imperfect and have been 
evaded, and want amending, or that the regulations 
under these laws are too loose. But is it a fair course 
of reasoning, to urge the abuse of a thing against its 
utility ? Fire is said to be a good servant, but a bad 
master; it will not however, be contended that we 
must have no fire, because it sometimes gets the 
ascendancy. 

" Courts of justice afford facilities for litigation, and 
yet this abuse will not be urged against having courts. 
It is said that wheat may be converted into alcohol, and 
that apples may have a tendency to promote intempe- 
rance. Yet among sensible men, wheat and apples will 
continue to be used, and although now and then, a fool 
or fanatic may destroy his orchard and refuse to taste 
an apple lest he encourage intemperance, yet such 
instances are rare, and to my mind, go to prove two 
propositions ; first, that they are fit subjects for chan- 
cery jurisdiction, by inviting the appointment of a 



35§ REMINISCENCES 

guardip,n ; and, secondly, that scarcely any theory is so 
gross, as .not occasionally to find an advocate. 

" The English poor laws, whether of semi barba- 
rious origin or not, grew out of the great moral and 
religious reformation in England, and the suppression 
of monastic establishments and relis-ious houses. Be- 
fore the reformation, England was a popish kingdom, 
and was filled with religious establishments. . Priests, 
monks, and friars, were the almoners of public bounty, 
and I may almost say of private charity, for they 
attempted to bring every thing within their control.; 
The country was filled with mendicants,, who, being 
fed and sustained at these establishments, were entirely, 
subservient to the clergy, idle, worthless and. rapacious,; 
and under the rnost dangerous influence. ■ The clergy 
rioted in , wealth and debaucheries ; deceived thsr 
people, practised upon the fears and credulity of the, 
weak, to strip them of their property, under the pre-; 
tence of masses and pious purposes, and with this, 
wealth supported the vagrant, and corrupted those who 
were dependent upon them. What England then was. 
will be found true to some extent, in many countries on ; 
the continent. ; 

" On the. suppression of monastic establishments by 
Henry Vni, these mendicants were thrown in great- 
numbers upon the community, helpless and dependent. , 
This led to the passage of several laws for the support 
of paupers, of which that of 43d Elizabeth, in 1601, is ; 
the principal. I am not an admirer of this English , 
statute, for I concede it attempts quite too much, but I , 
am yet to learn that under its auspices a stale of society 
exists as deplorable as under the old order of things, 
or as now exists in most European countries. 

" While I am free to concede that this law has held 



' BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 353 

out Inducements to paupers to become such, I also 
maintain that it has sustained and alleviated the con- 
dition of thousands who otherwise had no means of 
support. Yet I cannot concede that it has been the 
principal cause of pauperism in England. The diffi- 
culty lies deeper and is of a broader cast, and will be 
found more enduring from a superabundant population, 
a monstrous inequality and unjust distribution of 
property, and the grinding system of taxation arising 
from a national debt of 1,000,000,000 sterling, which 
presses like an incubus upon the industry and resources 
of the country. 

" These combined causes, together with the opera- 
tion of the corn laws produce an increase of paupers 
which will go on increasing till a radical reform is 
effected. Let England then commence this reform 
in good earnest if she wishes to reduce her pauper 
lists. 

" I will here make a passing remark in relation to 
the discrepancy between the views of English writers 
on political economy and the acts of parliament and 
policy of the government. For instance, Adam Smith, 
who seems to be the standard in that as well as this 
country, advocates a free trade — perfectly free — ' Let 
trade regulate itself.' And this is responded to in that 
as well as other countries ; and yet the policy of the 
government is precisely the reverse. So also of the 
Poor Laws. 

" But, sir, we have been referred to Scotland, and 
have been told that Scotland never had any poor laws. 
Even if this were so, the general exemption from extreme 
poverty might to a considerable extent, be accounted 
for from the habits of economy and industry of that 
enlightened people, together with the general diffusion 
23 



354 REMINISCENCES 

of education and the moral and religious instruction 
with which they are favored. But I must be permitted 
to question the correctness of an unqualified assertion 
that Scotland has no poor laws. The fact, I imagine, 
is, that they have laws that authorise an assessment for 
part of the support of the poor, and that the residue is 
raised by contributions ; but as I wish to argue this 
question more upon principle than upon the practice of 
other countries, I do not consider it a matter of much 
importance, except as a historical fact, and in this I may 
be mistaken. I do not pretend that their system is like 
the English ; but yet it recognizes the principle for 
which I contend, that there is a class of paupers who 
require support, and that the public at large are by legal 
enactments required to render that support, or part of it, 
and for the purposes of my argument, a part recognizes 
the principle as well as the whole. 

" The gentleman is referred to Jacob's Law Diction- 
ary, as an authority, vol. 5, page 195, title ' Poor,' 
where he will read as follows : 

"'In Scotland, the poor are distinguished into the 
idle and the infirm. 

" ' Several acts have been made for the punishment 
of sturdy beggars and vagabonds, by whipping and 
burning in the ear. 

" ' Those, who from age or infirmities are unable to 
maintain themselves, are maintained by a tax levied on 
the palish. 

" * The collection and management of the poor fund, 
is placed in the heritor's and kirk session. 

" ' In parishes, where a sufficient fund cannot be 
raised for all the poor, either by taxation or voluntary 
contribution at church doors, the magistrates are author- 
ised to give them badges as a warrant to ask alms within 
the limits of their parishes.' 



TJY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 355 

'*The Edinburgh Encyclopoedia, title 'Poor,' pages 
84 and 85, holds the following language in reference to 
the poor in Scotland : 

*' ' In the central districts, and in some parishes 
the land holders generally contribute what is wanting 
for the support of the poor, over and above the collec- 
tions and other funds, without assessing : but here 
many heritors refuse, or neglect to give anything, and 
the burden devolves with unequal pressure, on the 
liberal, while others very improjycrly escape. 

'* ' There is also, commonly, another great evil 
throughout this part of Scotland, (which is not permit- 
ted in the border districts where assessments are made), 
and which is caused by swarms of common beggars 
from all quarters, infesting the country, and raising con- 
tributions in amount, often exceeding what would sup- 
port the poor of the district. 

" ' There is in reality a tendency towards improve- 
ment; but certainly the most equal and efficient adminis- 
tration, is in the ivay of regular assessment, nofdoithstand- 
ing the objections against it. 

" ' We have laws in Great Britain to regulate this 
administration, (the management of the poor) and the 
statute laws are iii priiiciple similar in the tioo United 
Kingdoms; though in most parts of Scotland, the 
common law has established a practical and superior 
influence. 

" ' The sum applied in aid of the whole number of 
paupers, (about 30,000) somewhat exceeds one hundred 
thousand pounds ; of which above two-tenths are col- 
lected at the church doors, about five-tenths consist of 
accumulated funds, and voluntary grants by heritors 
and others ; and not quite three-tenths are assessed ; 
though this mode of provision is now adopted in above 
one hundred and fifty parishes.' (Page 87.) 



356 REMINISCENCES 

" These authorities appear to me to require a 
qualification to the assertion that Scotland has no poor 
laws. Now, as Scotland seems to be the beau ideal 
of perfection in the gentlenaan's estimation, allow me 
to inquire whether its laws do not recognize the princi- 
ple for which I contend — the obligation of the public 
to maintain the impotent poor? or to contribute a 
portion for their support? I will also inquire, whether 
that part of the Scotch law which authorises whipping 
and burning in the ear, commends itself to the advo-' 
cates of the new system, as worthy of imitation? and 
whether an authorised street begging is not infinitely 
more objectionable than our system of public support? 

" I hesitate not to say, that if your poor laws are 
repealed, begging from door to door must and will be 
adopted to an incalculable extent ; and what system 
so objectionable as this ? Knaves and vagabonds 
immediately resort to it, not only as a means of 
support, but as a most profitable business. Fortunes 
have beqn amassed by it, and even schools have been 
established to instruct children in the science of begging. 

" The necessary consequence of this system is, to 
harden the heart against apphcants who are worthy of 
support, because an individual, after having been 
imposed upon by the unworthy, and his sympathies 
grossly outraged, may very naturally come to the con- 
clusion that all beggars may be impostors ; and as he 
has been repeatedly deceived, he will guard against 
future impositions by withholding all charities. 

" Again, repeal your laws, and leave your paupers 
to the chance of support, and many must be neglected, 
nay must perish for want of immediate relief. 

" The gentleman has referred to the man among 
thieves and the good Samaritan. But what would 
have become of the sufferer, if by chance ihe Samari 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 3-57 

tan had not come that way? The Levite and the 
priest, from whom he had a right to look for better 
things, had already passed by on the other side, and 
left him as they found him. It was by chance that he 
was rescued ; and it appears to me that the gentleman's 
doctrine of relying upon 'private charity, is rebuked- 
from the very case to which ho has referred, where 
two out of three outraged the principles of humanity. 
I will not contend that this proportion will hold good ; 
but I venture to affirm, and I put it to the observation 
of every senator, whether we have not in all communi- 
ties many individuals, and rich ones too, who are 
most aptly personified in the priest and Levite ? 

" We are told that no country on the continent of 
Europe has poor laws; and yet I am inclined to 
believe, that there is scarcely a country on the con- 
tinent but what has some partial provision for the poor, 
either from religious establishments, hospitals, or by 
an appropriation of public funds, for part of the pau- 
pers' support. It appears to me that it necessarily 
mast be so in every civilized country. 

" In Switzerland the principle is recognized, that 
the pauper has a right to look to the public for support; 
and ' though there is no absolute provision for the poor 
in Switzerland, yet each parish generally possesses 
some seignorial rights and property in land for the 
public use, and is expected to maintain its own poor.' 
(1st Malthus on Population, 424.) Or in other words, 
a portion of public property in lands is set apart for 
the support of the poor, and the parish makes up the 
residue. 

" So too in Ireland, a corporation is erected in 
every county, of which the bishop and member of 
parliament are presiding members, and who are 



358 REMINISCENCES 

empowered to relieve poor parish vagabonds, to ap- 
prentice children, &c. and are clothed with great dis- 
cretionary powers. (Irish act. 11 and 12 Geo. Ill, 
chap. 30.) 

*' ' The national assembly of France, though they 
disapproved of the English poor laws, still adopted 
their principle, and declared that the poor had a right 
to pecuniar}'' assistance ; that the assembly ought to 
consider such a provision as one of its first and most 
sacred duties.'' (2 Malthus, 520, note to appendix.) 
But I believe France has not yet perfected her system 
of poor laws, although scarcel}'^ a country in Europe 
has so great a proportion of paupers. In Paris, it is 
estimated that every seventh person is a beggar; and 
that of the burials one-third are at the public expense. 
In the towns in France, the poor are estimated as one 
to ten ; and in rural districts, as one to fifteen : while 
in Scotland, about one in a hundred are considered 
regular poor, and two in a hundred receive partial 
support. (See Edinburgh Encyclopedia, title Poor, 
87.) France, with her sans culottes, will long hold an 
unenviable comparison, even with England. Books 
have been referred to, and I will detain the senate 
with a few extracts, to show how this matter has been 
regarded abroad as well as at home. ' In addition 
to those already given from the Encyclopedia, I will 
add a few more. 

"'Entire neglect of the poor drives them to des- 
pair, and of course to acts of desperation and violence : 
laws and regulations having no object except to silence 
or suppress their demands, are cruel, injudicious, 
and ineffectual. The correct principles of the admini- 
stration of the funds of charity have certainly not yet 
been generally understood ; otherwise the practice 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 359 

would have been proportionably improved. Utter 
neglect of the wants of the poor, is one extreme which 
has a dangerous and obvious tendency to excite all % 

the worst feelings of the poor, and to stir them up to % 

violence against individuals, and to hatred and rebel- 
lion against the laws. The opposite extreme consists 
in making want, without regard to conduct, the measure 
of the pauper's claim, and in grounding this claim not 
in charity but in right. Our sister kingdom of Ireland 
furnishes too many instances of a near approach to- 
wards the former extreme, and England towards the 
latter. In Scotland, notwithstanding the rather boasted 
superiority of the general mode of administration, there 
is really a tendency towards both of these extremes." 
(Page 81.) 

" * In other kingdoms and states there is little to 
remark, and less to commend ; only that the poverty, 
misery, and vice, which have overrun some of the 
finest and most fertile nations, are truly astonishing. 
And on this point it seems unnecessary to say more, 
than merely to name France and Spain, Portugal and 
Italy : and to refer to the too well-authenticated facts 
connected with the poissards, the sans*culotte, and the 
lazzaroni. (Page 85.) 

" ' The legislature of France has rejected all assess- 
ments for the poor, and sanctioned common mendicity 
over the land. The despotic governments of other 
nations appear slow and reluctant in giving their 
people emancipation from a state of servitude. Little 
hope of melioration for the state of the poor in these 
nations, appears at present. Perhaps it is reserved for 
this island, to give the tone and example in this great 
branch of policy and humanity. The United States 
of America have evinced both a liberal and profound 



860 REMINISCENCES 

policy in providing for the poor alread}^, by allotments 
of land, even before their state of population and 
society had arrived at such a point as to bring this 

« burthen into existence. (Page 89.) 

" ' Common begging is one of the very worst wa3''S 
in which the poor are, or have been supported in any 
countrv ; and yet it continues even in France, where 
the revenues of the state are sparingly supplied in aid 
of the funds of charity. (Page 85. See also Philhps' 
Manual of Political Economy, pp. 144 and 145.) 

" ' This mode is so pregnant with evils, that it 
appears astonishing how any enlightened legislature 
should deliberately tolerate it.' (Page 87.) 

" These general views q.re recognised in Phillips' 
Manual of Political Economy as being correct, and he 
remarks, in reference to private charity, that — 

" ' Persons of the greatest benevolence contribute far 
more than their just proportion, to support the poor ; 
and if relief of the poor is wholly voluntary, some 
persons will be left to perish for want. This, it is 
true, according to Mr. Malihus' doctrine, is one of the 
necessary correctives of redundancy of people ; but it 
certainly is not necessary until a country has become 
greatly overcharged wilh inhabitants, which will not 
soon happen in the United States. (Page 145.) 

"'Justice dictates such a provision for the poor, 
that the burthen may fall upon each one in proportion 
to his means,' (Page 14G.) 

" A few selections from the North American Review 
of 1827, pages 118 and 121, shall close my extracts. 
The article to which I allude, is a review of Mc 
Culloch's Political Economy, and the author remarks 
that — 

" Marriage and the poor laws are, as is well 



BY LEVI "BEARDSLEY. S61 

known, the two great bugbears of the new economical 
school. Our ancestors, simple souls, thought it a vastly 
fine thing to promote marriage ; but like the man in 
INIoliere who had reformed the position of the great 
vital organs, Noiis avons change toiit cela. Our readers 
are not so ignorant as to require to be told, that it is 
considered at present the great object of political 
economy, to bring about a state of things in which 
there shall be the fewest possible marriages, and to 
each marriage the fewest possible children. Since the 
publication of the work of Mr. Malthus, the sages and 
statesmen of the mother country are continually beset 
with the apprehension of being eaten out of house and 
home, by a hungry population, which, as they say, is 
pressing hard everywhere against the limits of the 
means of subsistence.' (Page 118.) 

*' Here Col. Young remarked, that no writer on 
political economy had objected to marriages, except 
the visionary theories of Mr. Malthus. 

" To which Mr. Beardsley replied, that Dr. Chal- 
mer, who had been referred to by Mr. Young as a 
standard writer on political economy, had objected to 
the poor laws as inducing frequent and improvident 
marriages ; and whether other writers had adopted 
this theor}'' of Malthus, he, Mr. B. was not then pre- 
pared to say ; but he would say, that other theories, 
which in his judgment were equally visionary, had 
been adopted, and that this was not the most extravagant 
theory that had been put forward for public approval. 

" Mr. Beardsley then read from the North Ameri- 
can Review, as follows : 

" ' A strong aversion to the poor laws is, as we have 
already intimated, another favorite tenet with the 
writers of this economical school. A public provision 



362 REMINISCENCES 

for the disabled members of society, has no other 
effect, they say, than to create the very wretchedness 
which it afterwards imperfectly relieves, without in any 
way diminishing the amount which would otherwise 
exist. Private charity is less mischievous, because 
it operates less systematically and extensively ; but in 
principle, and as far as it goes, it is no better. There- 
fore steel your heart and shut your hands. — Let the 
poor laws be repealed without delay, and let it be un- 
derstood that the supposed right of the indigent or 
distressed to relief, either public or private, is wholly 
inadmissible. Such doctrines, like the anti-matrimonial 
system which we have just been considering, are so 
completely abhorrent from all common notions and 
common feelings — from the text and spirit of Scripture, 
the traditions of the fathers, and the universal consent 
and practice of all nations and ages, that we hardly 
know in what manner to treat them. One is tempted 
to think, that the writers who support these monstrous 
paradoxes cannot be really serious, and that they are 
imposing upon the public a sort of melancholy humbug. 
At all events, their language addressed to a civilized 
and christian community carries its own refutation 
with it. 

" < When we are told that we are no longer to per- 
form the duties of charity, public and private, because 
of this or that discovery in political economy, we may 
well answer, without examining at all the value of the 
supposed new lights, that our own hearts, (to say nothing 
of scripture) furnish us with stronger evidence of the 
reality of these duties than we can possibly have of 
the truth of any metaphysical theory. If then the new 
system be at variance with our strongest natural senti- 
ments, and the conduct they prescribe, it follows not 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. S63 

that these sentiments are of injurious tendency, and 
this conduct immoral, but that the system is false, were 
it even impossible to detect the least logical flaw in the 
argument.' 

" ' This, however, is so far from being the case here, 
that the argument in support of this theory is as singu- 
larly flimsy, as the theory itself is unnatural and 
inhuman.' (Page 121.) 

*' Let us glance, (said Mr. B.) for a moment, at other 
countries where religious establishments are looked to 
for the principal support of the poor. Look at Spain, 
Italy, and Naples, with swarms of lazzaroni and street 
beggars, and I submit it to every man of sound judg- 
ment whether the English system, objectionable as I 
admit it to be, is not infinitely preferable. And yet our 
system, which is proposed to be repealed, is greatly 
preferable to that of England. I may almost say that 
the two systems are so dissimilar, that no just conclu- 
sion can be drawn of their effects and influence on 
society, from a comparison of one system with the other. 

" The practical operation of our poor laws in 
general (always, however, with some few exceptions,) 
is to relieve those who are in absolute want, and unable 
to support themselves, instead of supporting those who 
are able. Such will be found the general operation 
throughout the state, which is unlike the practical 
operation of the English poor laws ; the latter yielding 
indiscriminate relief to the sturdy vagrant as well as 
the impotent and infirm. 

*' We are told that private charity will do all that is 
absolutely necessary to support the worthy pauper; but 
will it be contended that this private charity will always 
seek out and provide for such as require immediate 
support? 



364 REMINISCENCES 

" Will not many suffer, and even die, unless you 
have a certaiji and compulsory legal provision, before 
private charity will apply the remedy ? 

" Let any one step into our poor houses or asylums 
and he will meet with objects entirely unable to main- 
tain themselves, destitute of friends, relatives or pro- 
perty, and who m.ust perish, unless sustained at private 
or public expense. And such objects too as no in- 
dividual, however humane, would wish or hardly 
consent to make an inmate of his family. 

" How are these loathsome objects lo be supported? 
Are they to be left to chance? Will the rich take 
them into their families, or even give them a place in 
their kitchens or garrets? Certainly not. The most 
charitable will turn away from objects so painful and 
disgusting, although they may give liberally for their 
support, to such as will consent to take them in charge. 

" As a test of the correctness of the theory, that 
private charity will do all that is necessary, for the 
relief of those who are absolutely dependant and 
worthy of support, I will again refer to the poor in 
France, Spain, Italy, Naples, and Ireland, where my 
friend from the fourth contends they have no legal 
provision for the support of the poor; and I ask him, 
whether private charity has made all requisite pro- 
vision for the helpless pauper? 

"If his theory is correct, these countries, in the 
absense of poor laws, (those * relics of a semi-barbarous 
age') afford an extensive field for the exercise of 
private charity, and the happy developements of his 
cherished theory ; and yet I think it will not be con- 
tended, that in point of fact, the practical effects have 
been such as he supposes the absence of poor laws 
would produce. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 365 

" I have always understood, as well from general 
information as from those who have travelled through 
these countries, that they abound with beggars ; and 
that poverty and distress are as common as in England ; 
nay more, that even England, with its swarms of 
paupers, its heavy taxes, and its improvident poor 
laws, as they are considered, suffers nothing in a 
comparison with other European countries. 

"And so far as private charity is concerned, I 
assert, without fear of contradiction, that nothwith- 
standing the supposed withering effects of poor laws 
upon the exercise of private charity, no country in 
Europe can compare with Great Britain, in its 
hospitals, asylums, and general provision for the sup- 
port and comfort of the helpless and infirm, as well 
as other objects of benevolence and religion. 

" If this be so, and that it is I have no doubt, how 
is the theory in relation to private charity supported 
by facts ? 

" It appears to me, that instead of sustaining the 
theory, the facts rather go to overturn it : and should 
at least induce a doubt of its correctness, even with 
its most strenuous advocates. 

" It has been said that the drunkard, from his 
vices, brings suffering on himself, and that his suffering 
is a righteous retribution for his offences ; that he 
deserves nothing at the hands of the public. Be it 
so: I am no apologist for the drunkard: but suppose, 
instead of the drunkard, you are presented with the 
drunkard's wife and drunkard's children, who, from 
his folly and vices, without fault on their part, are 
reduced to poverty and absolute dependence — have 
they no claims to our sympathies for support? and are 
we, in our crusade against vice, to visit the sins of 



366 REMINISCENCES 

the father npon the children? God forbid! That 
wife, and those children have, indeed, too bitter a 
portion of this world's evil, to merit the infliction of 
ills intended as a punishment to the drunkard. 

" I cannot, Mr. President, in looking upon this 
subject, bring myself to the conclusion that our poor 
laws, are ' a standing statutory libel upon God and 
man.' The principle on which they rest, in my 
judgment, is pure and benevolent. It is an emanation 
of that 'divinity which stirs within us.' It throws the 
support of those who are unable to support themselves, 
upon the community at large, of which community 
they are members ; and while it provides a certain 
and prompt relief, leaving nothing to chance, it throws 
on those who are able to pay and yet unwilling, no 
greater burthen than upon the benevolent, who are 
willing, but often less able to bear these burthens. 

" I concede that your laws may be defective : that 
they may invite to pauperism ; and that impositions 
are sometimes practiced ; but let this be corrected by 
legislative enactments ; and not from an abuse of a 
salutary law, reason against its expediency ; and by 
pushing theories to an extreme point, deny all liability, 
on the part of the community, to relieve extreme pover- 
ty, often the result of providential visitation, and without 
fault of the sufferer. 

*' I cannot adopt this cold and heartless theory, 
which, while it recognises what no man can deny, 
that thousands of our fellow-beings, without fault on 
their part, are thrown without friends or protectors 
upon the charities of the world, either public or private, 
for support, shall be turned over to the uncertain relief 
of private benevolence. 

" I rather choose to adhere to laws, the principles 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 3G7 

of which are deeply implanted in our nature, by an 
all-wise and benevolent being : laws that have grown 
up with our growth, and strengthened with our strength ; 
which recognise an obligation, on the part of the 
community, to sustain its helpless members, equally 
binding as the dictates of humanity upon an individual, 
to rescue a fellow-being from suffering or death. 

" And while I will go as far as any gentleman to 
correct abuses, and to render our system more perfect, 
I cannot consent to repeal our poor laws, and thus cast 
a vast number of helpless beings, and vast amount of 
human suffering, upon the cold and uncertain charities 
of the world. That warm hearts exist, I admit, 
and that the principles of humanity will prompt the 
benevolent to deeds of mercy ; but I also know that 
there are individuals in every community, who, al- 
though abundantly able, will do nothing and pay 
nothing, except as your laws compel them. While 
they claim and receive the protection of your govern- 
ment and laws, the enjoyment of which, I trust, will 
never be denied, they shall not, with my consent, 
escape from bearing their equal burthen in supporting 
that government, and the helpless members of the 
community. 

" Our present system of county poor-houses has 
scarcely been tested. It is an experiment which may 
require years of practice to bring to perfection, and as 
its defects become manifest let them be corrected. 
If in some few instances they invite pauperism, and if 
foreign poor are thrown upon us, the legislature can, 
and no doubt will apply a remed5^ But while our 
taxes are hght, and our citizens satisfied with our 
present system, a system which thus far has worked 
well, let us not, from an apprehension of future evils, 



36S REMINISCENCES 

that may or may not be realized, endeavor to subvert 
a policy identified with the S3''mpathies of the great 
body of the community, and grounded in the purest 
principles of humanity. 

This inroad upon our system, without the apology 
of a petition or complaint to justify our action, is now 
urged for our approval. A change based upon an un- 
tried and doubtful theory — a theory at war with all our 
early impressions and the whole tenor of legislative 
enactments; — a change as uncalled for as it will be 
unexpected by the people, and one that I hesitate not 
to say, instead of commending itself to their favorable 
consideration, would be received with utter astonish- 
ment, if not with deep and unqualified reprobation." 

It is w^orthy of remark that the resolution was intro- 
duced, and its adoption urged without a petition for the 
proposition, and though sustained by able arguments, 
presenting with much ability the strong points, fortified 
by numerous references to writers who had entertained 
similar views, it received but few votes beyond the 
movers. I had never read much on that question and 
was poorly qualified to discuss it, but the negative of 
his proposition seemed to me so reasonable, and so 
much in accordance with the sympathies of the age in 
which we live, that after offering an amendment I could 
not shrink from the contest. Some of the colonel's 
assertions in regard to the absence of legal provision 
for pauper support in the different governments of con- 
tinental Europe, were very broad and sweeping. 

An able article soon after appeared in one of the 
London QicarterUes, that went far to overthrow some of 
his propositions, in which the writer showed the pro- 
vision, in nearly every country of Europe, for the relief 
of the poor, from which it appeared that scarcely any 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 309 

of them were without some legal enactment, or other 
certain means provided, for the aid and sustenance of 
the destitute. 

Indeed, 1 do not see how any civilized country, to 
say nothing of christianized, can get along without 
some legal provision for those who cannot help them- 
selves ; without it innumerable cases must arise, where 
those who are worthy but unfortunate must perish for 
want of prompt assistance. 

It is an interesting subject, and enters largely into 
the political economy of the state, which I hope may 
be deemed of sufficient importance by those who may 
honor me with a perusal, to warrant me in submitting 
my remarks in the present chapter to the scrutiny of 
the public. 



370 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XX. 

Common Schools sliould be Free, hut not Sectarian. — ScJiool 
District Libraries projected and urged by the late James 
Wadsworth, Esq. — Shaldng Quaker Investigation. 

Among the many subjects of legislation that came 
before the senate while I was a member of that body, 
and which was by no means of the least importance, 
was the common schools of the state ; and in reference 
to which, my votes were with those sustaining the 
most liberal principles. I had been a school-master. 
All the scholastic learning I had acquired was at these 
humble institutions. From the time our common school 
system went into operation, in 1814 or '15, I had been 
a commissioner or inspector, up to my election to the 
senate, and always felt a deep interest in perfecting 
and sustaining them, looking at the general diffusion of 
education among the masses as the sheet anchor of 
our liberties. So I regard it still ; and hence have 
looked upon the question of free schools, just passed 
upon and sustained by a vote of the state, as one of 
absorbing interest. 

Public opinion has been much divided ; but I think 
it is more a division in regard to details, than the 
abstract question whether the schools shall be free. 
In reference to the law lately submitted to the people, 
and sustained by the popular vote, the details were 
undoubtedly defective, and this I suppose was the 
principal cause of clamor. These defects have been, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 371 

or should be amended and corrected, as I do not 
doubt they will be, if they are not already. 

Had I been a member of the legislature, I would 
never have sent the question of free schools back to 
the people. I do not like this mode of shuffling off 
responsibility from the representative to his constituents. 
If he is fit to represent them, he ought to have a mind 
of his own, and be willing to take the responsibility of 
deciding on questions, instead of shirking them. 

The decision of Judge Shankland, of the supreme 
court, which I understand has been concurred in by 
some of his associates, that a law, the vitality of which 
is made to depend on the vote of the people, is uncon- 
stitutional, fully meets my approbation, and will serve 
to check the inclination of legislators to avoid respon- 
sibility. I think the constitution never intended to 
call in the popular vote, for the purpose of law-making. 
Still, as the school law was submitted and sustained, 
I hope it will be an additional inducement to legisla- 
tors, to perfect the S3'stem by discreet amendments, 
till the schools are made free for every child within 
the borders of the state. Well-founded objections, 
that have heretofore rendered free schools unpopular, 
should be removed, which subsequent legislation can 
and no doubt will effect. 

Education and general intelligence are indispensable 
requisites, for a discreet exercise of the elective fran- 
chise, and the varied duties of the citizen. We 
allow almost universal suffrage. The vote of the poor 
man, however ignorant he may be, has the same weight 
in the ballot box as that of his rich educated neighbor. 
That box is indeed the medium, if not the source of 
power; and how is this power to be safely exerted, 
unless intelligence goes with it? The state, — the body 
politic, has an interest then, in having its citizens 



372 REMINISCENCES 

educated as well for tids as other duties. Every one 
will admit the foregoing proposition ; and then the 
question arises, how can this desirable result be best 
promoted? Make your schools free, so that no child 
shall be excluded on account of the poverty of his 
parents, or be degraded in his own feelings, or taunted 
by his associates, as being there on the pauper list. 
Children of extremely poor parents have embarrass- 
ments enough to overcome, from the mere fact that 
ihey know they are not as well conditioned as those 
who move in a higher sphere. 

It may be said that our schools were so free that 
any child could be educated. This may have been sub- 
stantially true, and yet we know that many have been 
debarred, from the inability of parents to pay the rate 
bills, and their reluctance to place their children in 
school as charity scholars. The pride of even a poor 
man revolts at the latter proposition, as well on account 
of his own humiliation of feeling, as for respect to the 
feelings and spirit of his child. Hence, make your 
schools free, and you secure a more general education 
to your citizens. But it is objected that the property of 
one man shall not be appropriated to school the 
children of another. If this is a valid objection, it is 
equally so against the law which has for many years 
imposed part of the expense of schools on property. 
The objection, in my judgment, is not well taken, for 
as long as laws have to be made and enforced to pro- 
tect property, the public have a right to judge and 
decide how that protection can be best and most cheaply 
afforded. Property is subjected to the expense of 
maintaining police regulations, criminal courts, jails, 
and state prisons, poor houses and paupers. No one 
denies the truth or propriety of this proposition. 

Now, I imagine, criminal statistics will abundantly 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 373 

prove that education greatly restrains crime ; so also 
in regard to pauperage. Probably no more efficient 
protection can be prescribed for the safety of persons 
or property than a general diffusion of education, 
through your common school ; nor no regulation that will 
so greatly limit the expense for the poor. Hence, when 
you ask property to support schools, you violate no 
private right, you merely adopt the same principle that 
has always governed in relation to criminal proceedings. 
No one thinks ofrequiring a parent who has a vicious child 
to pay for proceedings to bring him to justice. Nor do 
we subject the property even of a murderer, to pay for 
the gallows, or the executioner for inflicting the death 
penalty. Not only property is more secure, but the 
order and quiet of society and life of the citizen is more 
safe in an educated population than an uneducated. 
Ignorance is truly the parent of vice. An intelligent 
community is far more respectable, and adds strength 
to the political fabric. " Knowledge is strength ;" and 
when you connect it with the ballot and jury box, and 
in short with all the duties of citizenship, no one can 
adequately estimate its value or importance. 

It not only protects, but enhances the value of pro- 
perty. What man in his senses would place as high 
an estimate on farms in an uneducated, ignorant 
neighborhood, as he would where it was surrounded by 
intelligent, well educated farmers ? 

A good man, from the mere sympathies of his 
nature, will desire to see his fellow men, and the 
children of his fellows, so situated in the world as will 
best promote their happiness and respectability. Hence, 
he will freely contribute of his substance, to promote so 
desirable an object ; and this consideration will prompt 
many to sustain a system of free education. But all do 



374 REMINISCENCES 

not so regard it, and hence the necessity of law, to 
compel contribution. Sympathies need not be invoked 
where reasons of state afford an abundant justification. 

When I speak o'i free schools, I mean those that are 
without charge to the pupils and /ree from sectarian as 
well as other influences, except a desire to educate and 
fit those for an intelligent exercise of the duties of life, 
who attend for instruction. 

Any abstraction of funds raised by authority of law, 
to promote common school education, when devoted to 
sectarian purposes, is, in my judgment, a base per- 
version from the object for which they were intended. 
With the same propriety laws might be passed to levy 
money for religious associations ; a proposition which 
in this country, would neither be listened to, or submit- 
ted to for a moment; nor should the other. What 
would be the result in reference to common schools, 
should sectarian divisions of the funds be allowed ? 
You destroy the system of general education at once. 
If one denomination is allowed to have a portion, 
another, and all denominations must have their share; 
and thus your schools instead of being institutions 
where all may meet on equal terms, will be narrow, 
bigotted, and exclusive. The catholic must have his, 
the episcopalian his, the presbyterian his, and so 
through all the denominations that exist in the country, 
down to those who disbelieve and repudiate the whole. 
A sectarian school will, of course, be narrow and ex- 
clusive. The dogmas of each denomination will be 
insidiously instilled, if not openly taught the pupils, and 
thus the whole community will be brought under 
clerical influence, — an influence, which, when exerted 
in reference to political affairs, has too often been per- 
nicious to liberty. I would allow the clergy their due 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 375 

weight in the pulpit, and treat them with deference 
and respect in reference to religious matters, but I never 
desire to see the schools or politics of the country 
subject to their control. 

While Sunday schools are kept up they will necessa- 
rily be in a great measure sectarian. To this I do not 
object ; nor has any one, except those who establish 
them, a right to control them ; because they are the re- 
sult of free voluntary associations. A discreet man, 
therefore, would not desire to interfere with others in 
this particular, even if he could. In these schools the 
clergy will, of course, exercise great influence, which 
should satisfy the aspirations of any reasonable man. 
My position in regard to schools, is this : they must 
be kept free from sectarian influences, or they cannot 
be sustained as a general system ; the contrary course 
must necessarily break them up, or introduce dissentions 
that would destroy their usefulness. 

Then again, if you attempt to divide the funds, with 
a view of dividing according to the number and interests 
of the different denominations, your schools become 
weak and inefficient, while 3'our population becomes 
divided and jealous of each other, if not actually 
inimical. I am perfectly satisfied the common school 
system cannot be sustained, if placed on a sectarian 
footing ; and if such influences are allowed to enter or 
govern the schools, they will be regarded with disfavor 
by some, if not all the many denominations, and their 
usefulness paralyzed if not destro3'^ed. 

To say that a large majority of a district is of a 
particular denomination, and therefore their dogmas 
may be taught, is no answer to the objection ; because 
our laws and whole theory of government go on the 
assumption that all religions are alike tolerated, while 



37G REMINISCENCES 

none can claim precedence. And besides this con- 
sideration, it cannot rightfully be pretended that schools 
under our system, are established to inculcate religious 
dogmas, much less sectarian. 

It has with me been a matter of regret, that catho- 
lic citizens, in some instances, have desired to keep 
their children from common schools. This prejudice is 
most prevalent with those who have come from foreign 
countries, to settle and reside among us. How absurd 
it is, to think of keeping up distinctions and divisions 
here, that used to divide them at home, or to divide our 
schools from religious views and differences. The 
sooner they can throw off their foreign prejudices, and 
become Americanised in their feelings and sympathies, 
the better for them and the community in general. 

I can make some slight allowance for foreigners, 
when they are influenced by foreign prejudices, but 
when our American protestants inveigh against common 
schools as being unfit to educate the children of religi- 
ous people, and ask charity to enable them to establish 
select sectarian schools, 1 am astonished at their folly. 

Within a few weeks, I have listened to a discourse 
ft"om a protestant minister, who represented common 
schools, in certain specified localities, if not absolute 
nurseries of vice, as but very little short of them. Such 
discourses are calculated to do harm, and should not be 
countenanced. If schools are not conducted as they 
should be, there is more necessity for good men to 
remain with them for the purpose of correction and 
improvement. The education of the masses is an 
element entering so largely into our municipal regula- 
tions, that no man who has a proper regard for the 
interest of society, to say nothing of private interest, 
can look upon it with indifference. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 377 

If its importance is properly appreciated, good men 
will desire to interest themselves in the schools of their 
neighborhood, and to reform such defects as are ap- 
parent. It appears to me, that scarcely a school 
district , can be found, where the proprietors could 
desire any thing short of a well-conducted school. 
Very few parents are so indifferent to the welfare of 
their children, as to tolerate a loose, disorderly, im- 
moral school ; and I should require strong evidence to 
induce me to believe, that a majority in any district 
could be induced to favor such a project. There is 
virtue enough, in my humble opinion, in the community, 
to require schools to be managed on principles of good 
morals ; where youth may be taught, and by teaching 
made better men and better citizens, and better quali- 
fied to discharge the various duties of life. Hence, 
any attempt, from the pulpit or elsewhere, to decry or 
render them odious or unpopular, should be reprobated 
and treated with contempt. 

It may be said, and has been said, that religious 
instruction should go hand in hand with education, 
and that an irreligious man cannot be a good citizen. 
That religion is essential to the well-being and safety 
of society, as well as of our political institutions, I 
freely admit, and certainly shall not be found arguing 
against it, or religious instruction. But the question is, 
whether such- instruction can be carried into our schools, 
without being sectarian ; and if sectarian, whether it 
will not of necessity destroy the school system? 

Solomon says, " there is a time for all things ;" 
and though I admit the importance of religious instruc- 
tion, I do not believe the hours devoted to common 
school learning, the appropriate time, nor the school- 
house, as such, the proper place. Instruction in re- 
ligious matters is more appropriate for the family 



378 REMINISCENCES 

circle, the pulpit, and pastoral visits ; and in my judg- 
ment, should be kept out of schools, if we intend to 
sustain them under our school-law as a system. 

The law requires a certificate of good moral charac- 
ter on the part of teachers, united with a competency 
of learning, to teach a common school ; and these 
certificates, with the license predicated upon them, 
are revocable, if the candidate is found to be wanting 
in these pre-r^quisites. The law knows nothing of 
religious qualifications, and requires none, beyond a 
good moral character, with ability to teach f and as in 
qualifications for governors, legislators, and judges, 
we require no religious test, neither should we in 
regard to school teachers. He who requires it goes 
beyond the requisitions of the law. 

I am not to be understood as objecting to a teacher 
because he is religious. If truly so, it should be a 
recommendation, rather than an objection. 

I hope my remarks will not be regarded as the 
ebullition of unkind feeling towards the clergy, for 
they are not so intended; but on the contrary, from a 
perfect conviction that schools must be kept free from 
sectarian influences ; and by keeping them so we best 
promote their usefulness, and leave the clergy in a 
position where their worth and high standing will be 
better and more highly appreciated. 

SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARIES. 

The school district library law had my heart}'' 
approval and zealous support. Judge Hammond, in 
his political history of New York, makes honorable 
mention of my exertions. A few incidents in regard 
to the legislation on this subject may not be out of 
place or uninteresting. 

In its results, in distributing nearly one million of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 879 

readable volumes through the state, where almost 
every child can have access to them, I have regarded 
this as one of the most important laws I have ever 
assisted to pass. I hope it will long be so regarded, 
by those who shall hereafter legislate. Next to our 
common schools, and auxiliary to them, I consider it 
of inestimable value. I shall always feel proud of 
that law, though I make no claim to its paternity. 
That honor belongs to the late James Wadsworth, a 
wealthy, liberal, far-seeing, and highly esteemed gen- 
tleman, from Geneseo, Livingston county. Fully im- 
pressed with the importance of a more perfect system, 
and general diffusion of knowledge through the medium 
of common schools, with all the zeal of an enlightened 
philanthropist he came to Albany, to promote the 
object he had so much at heart, and sought interviews 
with several members of the legislature. Before that 
occasion, he had purchased and presented to each 
member. Cousins' work on the Prussian System of 
Common Schools. 

He requested me to meet him for a few minutes, 
in one of the committee rooms, where he immediately 
introduced the subject of school district libraries, in 
connection with common schools. He proceeded to 
enlarge on the advantages to be derived from the 
introduction of good, well-selected, interesting books, 
placed in reach of every child in the state. Recollect- 
ing how much pleasure and profit I had myself re- 
ceived from the few books I had been able to obtain 
during my childhood, he had only to state his project, 
when its propriety and advantages appeared so ap- 
parent, that I wondered 1 had never thought of it 
before. 

I told him at once, that I did not wish him to spend 



380 REMINISCENCES 

a moment in convincing me of the propriety of the 
principle. All I wanted to hear, was his suggestions 
as to details, in carrying out the measure. This he 
explained, and I assured him of my zealous co-opera- 
tion whenever it should be brought up. I was sure it 
would meet with a stern, determined opposition, and 
so informed him; but he had dwelt upon it so much, 
and making it a hobby, had so convinced himself of 
its propriety, that he could hardly believe it could be 
opposed by any one. He seemed to think it would 
commend itself to the favor and good opinion of every 
one, as it had to himself. When the bill was called 
up in committee of the whole, it was assailed as an 
attempt to throw an additional burden on men of 
property, already unequally and oppresively taxed, 
under our school system. 

It was said, the books, if taken out at all, would 
be lost, or carried away by those moving from the 
district ; that plenty of books were already in reach 
of all who desired to read ; and that the library 
creating an additional burden, would endanger the 
schools, by rendering the whole unpopular. In favor 
of the libraries we argued, that the introduction of 
interesting books would create a desire to read, and 
thus infuse a more general feeling among parents and 
children, to keep up and render the schools more 
perfect. That under suitable regulations, to be pre- 
scribed by the proprietors of schools, the books 
would be preserved. Parents and children could 
profit by them, for parents as well as children would 
read, when the books were brought home ; and thus 
a more general knowledge would diffuse itself through 
the length and breadth of the state. That where each 
citizen had an access to the ballot box, it was abso- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 3S1 

lutely necessary, for a judicious exercise of the right 
of voting, that he should be informed. That the 
safety of our institutions in a great measure depended 
on the inteUigence of those entitled to the high privi- 
lege of choosing their rulers. That education was 
calculated to prevent crime and pauperism ; and I 
recollect of making the remark, the substance of which 
I have recently seen reiterated in reference to free 
schools, " that property owners would have no reason 
to complain, as a general diffusion of knowledge was 
the best and most efficient safeguard property could 
have, against both pauperism and crime." 

The debate may be seen, and the substance of my 
remarks, in the daily Albany Argus, the day after we 
had it up in the senate. I do not recollect whether 
Col. Young was in the senate, when the first law 
passed in reference to school libraries, but I think he 
was. I am sure he was, when the law was passed 
in relation to the application of interest arising from 
the deposit of surplus revenue with the state, by which 
the funds for schools and libraries were lai-gely aug- 
mented. The Colonel and myself differed on many 
subjects, but in relation to schools and school libraries 
we always worked and pulled together. The state is 
much indebted to him, and to John C. Spencer, for 
the flourishing condition of our schools and libraries. 
Mr. Wadsworth had the gratification of seeing his 
favorite project carried into successful operation, and 
should be remembered and res^arded as a distinguished 
public benefactor, to whom the citizens of New York, 
particularly the younger members of society, are 
greatly indebted. 

At our interview in the committee-room, I offered 
to contribute towards any expenses that might be 



3S2 EEMINTSCENCES 

incurred for books or printing, but he would accept 
nothing. He was rich, and said he wanted no money : 
he only wanted to contribute to the well-being and 
respectability of his fellow men, and was convinced 
that he could do nothing of so much importance to 
them, or to the stability of our republican institutions, 
as the diffusion of knowledo;e among the masses. It 
would be. fortunate for society, if men of property and 
influence would more frequently imitate his bright and 
patriotic example. 

Here was a man of great wealth, who of course, 
under any system of free education, must contribute 
largely for its attainment, was urging the passage of 
a law that must subject his estate to annual charges, 
which many others strive to avoid. Yet he had plenty 
of this world's goods, and had the good sense to see 
how it might be made useful to the community, as 
well as to himself and relatives. He did not long 
survive the passage of his favorite law ; but long 
enough, I believe, to see it carried into successful 
operation. When full of years, with an untarnished 
reputation, he was "gathered to his fathers," leaving 
a princely estate to his relatives, who are in every 
respect worthy representatives of the distinguished 
gentleman from whom a large portion was derived. 

SHAKING QUAKERS. 

Before leaving senatorial proceedings, and going 
to other subjects, I will introduce a few pages in 
reference to this singular sect. 

During the session of 1838, several petitions and 
communications were presented, making serious charges 
against the shakers, and praying for a legislative 
invesligaiion. It turned out in the end, that these 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 8S3 

proceedings were principally instigated by backsli- 
ders, who had been with, and subsequently left them. 
A committee was finally raised in the senate, consisting 
of Hon. F. A. Tallmadge, Col. Young, and myself; 
of which I think Mr. Tallmadge was chairman. The 
committee had several meetings, and took considerable 
testimony, which did not seem to amount to much, 
except to show the singular tenets, " rules," and regu- 
lations of those extraordinary fanatics. The drift of 
testimony was more aimed against the elders than 
private members, probably on account of their official 
standing. Some of their " orders," or " rules" appear 
arbitrary ; and as love of power and authority is inherent 
in man in every station of life, I have no doubt that 
those elders held a "taut rein," which would not be 
tolerated out, and should hardly be permitted within 
the society. Still, the joining and remaining with them 
being a matter of choice, and not of coercion, if the 
members are satisfied with arbitrary rules, "the world's 
people" should not very much complain, so long as 
the exercise is within the society. 

The shakers were before the committee in con- 
siderable numbers ; and were of course very civil to 
them, as well as to members of the legislature generally. 
The public know but little of the " rules and orders" 
that regulate the members in their isolated society ; for 
it was proved by the oath of several witnesses, and 
rather admitted, that members are not allowed to com- 
municate the " rules and orders" to those not of their 
fraternit3\ The interior regulations, in fact nearly the 
whole of the afTairs, are under the elders, or are ma- 
naged as they direct. 

The proof went to show that they exercised an 
influence both inquisitorial and restrictive. Books or 



3S4 REMINISCENCES 

newspapers were neither to be bought or read by the 
members, except by permission of the elders. Letters 
were not to be written, or received and opened, unless 
they inspected them. It was proved to be contrary to or- 
ders for members to look at any thing to gratify curiositj'". 
For instance, they must not visit a museum, or even to 
go on board a steam boat to examine it or its machinery. 
To test them in regard to this point, I invited some of 
the shaker females, who visited the senate, to go with 
me to the state library, and look at Audubon's great 
work on Ornithology, then just published. They com- 
plied with some little reluctance, but I have always 
thought their going was more out of compliment to me, 
(as I was of the committee) than a desire on their part 
to examine that splendid production. The evidence 
was, that the society believe in a future state of rewards 
and punishments ; and that it is inculcated on members, 
particularly on children, that no one can be happy 
hereafter unless he becomes a shaker ; and if he 
violates the rules, or leaves them after uniting with 
their societ}'-, he must be miserable in this life as well 
as the life to come. Again it was testified that it is 
inculcated, by preaching that the members will "never 
see any God but in their elders." 

They teach that there is, and should be " no natural 
affection," and hence, parents and children are not 
allowed to visit each other, except by permission of the 
elders, and generally in their presence, or in the pre- 
sence of a deaconess. 

One of the witnesses testified that the society was 
strict, and often abused children. That the children 
and members are taught that "it is right to lie, and 
cheat the devil." and thereby defend and promote the 
Gospel." 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 385 

This witness had testified to certain acts of violence, 
particularly in reference to himself. He had been 
flogged once for an alleged offence of which he was not 
guilty, and afterwards used to lie and deny things 
which were alleged against him that were true. At 
the age of fifteen he was stripped on a cold day and 
severely flogged. He finally stated that when he was 
a boy he was very graceless, and probably one of the 
worst boys in the world for l3nng and stealing. The 
committee thought from his own statement that though 
the flogging might not have been strictly legal, yet it 
was not entirely unmerited. 

He went on to state, that they were taught by the 
elders "that this world is a sink of corruption." On 
being asked what had been his experience in this 
respect, he said he had not found it so. He then com- 
complained of ill-treatment of the members by the 
superiors, and to illustrate his views, remarked that 
*' all men are born free and equal," and hence deduced 
that it was wrong for the elders to live or dress better 
than other members ; and stated that he had been 
required to wear the old shirts of the elders. 

Their " orders," as they call them, are very strict, 
particularly in reference to the sexes. A male and 
female are not allowed to pass each other going up or 
down stairs ; one must wait till the other has ascended 
or descended. They must not hang their clothing 
together. The males hang their garments in one part 
of the house, and the females in the other. A male and 
female are not to be in a room together without a third 
person, or to ride out together without another with 
them. In reference to this latter regulation, one of the 
witnesses testified to what he had heard of a ludicrous 
evasion of the "order." " One of the elders was in 
25 



3S6 REMINISCENCES 

the habit of riding out with a particular sister, and to 
make up the third person they used to take a dog 
in the buggy with them." This was promptly pro- 
nounced a lie by an elder who was present, as it 
probably was. 

It was proved to be contrary to " order" " to pay 
anything for the gratification of the sight or senses ;" 
" to tell your feelings, trials, &c. to any one but an 
elder ;" " to talk after going to bed ;" " to be in the room 
when a female makes the bed ;" " to go into meeting 
or to bed after having broken an order, without 
confessing It to an elder ;" *' to sing worldly songs, or 
to tell worldly stories, or read worldly books, except 
approved by him." " Males and females of the society 
are not to touch each other;" nor must the female "go 
alone out of the family at night." 

One of the witnesses scandalized an elder and 
three sisters, by relating that "they were in the habit of 
going in a pond to bathe together, he having on a short 
shirt, and they with each only a cap on the head ;" 
the reason given for putting on such slight appendages, 
was to be enabled to say, that " the}'" did not go into 
the water naked." Probably the whole was a slander; 
but I suppose men and women of more pretensions 
than these obscure shakers, have been guilty of inde- 
cencies quite as reprehensible. And if it be true that 
delinquencies occasionally happen among our shaker 
friends, 'they only imitate vile examples from more 
distinguished quarters. 

The committee were invited to visit the settlement 
at Niskauna, to see and examine for themselves, 
whether any wrong could properly be imputed to the 
society. We went there tvi^Ice, and were received and 
treated with much respect and kindness. We went 
through the establishment, conversed freely with the 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 387 

inmates, adults and children. They all professed to be 
contented, and desired to be left alone, that they might 
remain there in quiet. 

They have schools where the children are taught to 
read, write, and cypher. Their clothing was good, 
substantial, and clean. Their houses and enclosures 
were the patterns of neatness and cleanliness ; and 
their food though plain was of the best quality, and got 
up well cooked, and was in every respect as it 
should be. 

We dined with them twice, and I want no better 
bread and butter, boiled ham, roast turkey and beef, 
with excellent bottled cider, than we found among the 
shakers ; nor could better be had, if it was wanted. 
One of our visits was on the Sabbath, as we wanted to 
see them at their devotions on that day. Sister Abigail 
who took charge of the Idtchen department^ got us an 
excellent dinner, and after we had dined we proposed 
to return to the city. They urged us to stay and 
be present at the afternoon exercises, when they were 
going through with those dances, as we call them. 
Abigail was a large, tall woman, and we told them we 
would stay if she and Senator Wager, who was with 
us and was also very tall, would dance together. It 
was finally adjusted by Frederick, their market agent, 
who was a shrewd, good-natured man, and I should 
think was very competent for his position, assuring us 
that he would join in the exercises. We concluded to 
wait ; so in due time they congregated in the large 
room, and after singing some of their hymns, and 
the elder giving words of exhortation, they prepared 
for " labor." The men took off their coats, and hung 
them with their hats on pegs on one side of the room, 
the females hung their bonnets on the other, and then 
all commenced. 



oS8 REMINISCENCES 

Frederick did not " go in" with the first, but waited 
some time, and then very deliberately took off and 
hung up his coat, and joined the others, giving us 
occasionally a significant look, which went to say that 
he was keeping his engagement. 

One of their stanzas was very much in the follow- 
ing style; v.'hich was sung with a decidedly nasal 
twang : — 

"And David dT.rced with all his might, 
And then h's muid was eas-ed ; 
Because he knew that he was right, 
And ihe Lord was not d'spleas-e^Z." 

Among the females was a young woman who, 
fashionably dressed, would have appeared well, though 
not handsome. She had been the subject of a habeas 
corjjus, which had been sued out by her mother, whose 
reputation was equivocal. The girl desired to return 
and remain with her shaker friends, which the judge 
permitted. She seemed to enter into the exercises 
with great enthusiasm of feeling, and eventually ap- 
peared almost frantic, and then, apparently, seemed to 
sink away and fall into a trance. I cannot better 
describe it, than by comparing it to those exhibhions 
or manifestations so frequent among the methodists, 
which they designate as "spiritual power." Probably 
it is substantially the same, or strongly partaking of it. 

The shakers are a very industrious, economical 
people ; making nearly all their wearing apparel, 
buying but few articles, and those generally paid for 
by such things as they sell. They take good care of 
their members when sick or aged, and have no paupers 
supported by the public. Their fare is good, substan- 
tial and wholesome. They are divided into what they 
call ** families," and each of these " families" eat at 
the same table. They are remarkably temperate, and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 389 

although they make and put up good bottled cider, 
equal to the best Newark, yet it is not used as a 
common drink ; water is the usual beverage. I have 
known some of their travelling, out-door agents, who 
would occasionally drink a glass of brandy and water; 
but this I believe, was more out of compliment to the 
person inviting them to drink, than a desire to do so. 
In the main, T regard them as an inoffensive, simple 
sect, who should be let alone, and who are entitled, as 
well as others, to the protection of our laws. They 
should not be encouraged, but tolerated; and when 
parents, father and mother, in a proper state of mind, 
unite in placing their children with the society, and 
under their care, I do not wish to restrain them from 
doing so, or the shakers from receiving them, though 
I should esteem it a misfortune to the child, so far 
as intellectual improvement is concerned. In reference 
to the worldly wants of children, they will generally 
be well cared for ; but I do not like the practice of 
taking charge of children, v/here one parent consents 
and the other objects, even if the one consenting has 
the legal right to control the question. I think where 
either parent objects, it should not be permitted, unless 
there are some special i^easons for disregarding the 
wishes of the one objecting. A parent who neglects 
or abuses his children, should not be allowed to control 
such an arrancfement. 

There are, undoubtedly, in their society, some of 
reputable, intellectual standing; nay, I doubt not, some 
that are shrewd, and even designing. A man of dis- 
tinguished acquirements and high order of talents, 
may, from disgust of the world, or other reasons, 
seclude and bury himself in the society, as such men 
have often devoted themselves to monastic life. 



390 REMINISCENCES 

I cannot doubt the sincerity of the great body oi 
shakers ; but still from their regulations, so contrary 
to the perpetuation of our race and the social relations 
of life, they as a sect can never be numerous or danger- 
ous. 1 look upon them as an inoffensive deluded people; 
sincere, but fanatical, and made up of the credulous 
and weak-minded, with now and then an exception. 
Any man of discernment who will visit their society, 
and note their intellectual appearance, I think cannot 
fail to see great credulity and feebleness of mind 
enstamped on their features, too apparent to be mis- 
taken, even without the aid of a professed phrenologist. 

The committee came to the conclusion, that so far 
as the charges preferred against them were concerned, 
the shakers "were more sinned against than sinning;" 
and so without making a formal report, we gave the 
subject the go-by, and let it drop where it was. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 391 



CHAPTER XXL 

Anecdote of tlie Late Senators, Griffin and Young. — The 
Late Col. Stevens, of Hohohen. — His Project for a Rail- 
road and. Locomotive iji 1811, pronounced impracticable 
and visionary. — His Experimental Steamhoat in 1804. — 
Roht. L. Stevens, esq. invents arid brings into use the long 
heavy T or H Rail, in 1830 or '31. — Extracts from 
Lecture of Hon. Charles King. — Legislation in relation 
to Railroads. — Opposition from Ignorance and Prejudice. 
— New York and Erie Road. — Extracts from Speech in 
favor of $3,000,000 Loan for its Construction, and 
Prediction in 1836, of a Railroad to the Pacific. — 
Invited to St. Louis Convention, 1849, and Letter in 
Reply. — Remarks and Present Impressions i?i regard to 
Asa Whitney's Project for Pacific Railroad. — Rej^^^^ ^f 
Hon. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, in New York Senate, 
(1831,) Predicting the Construction of Hudson River 
Railroad. 

What I have written in relation to legislative matters 
is principally from recollection, without having had 
access to documents, journals, or newspapers of that 
time, so that the production may be regarded as 
reminiscences in the strictest sense of the term- 
By comparing my statements with the journals and 
proceedings of the legislative bodies and the news- 
papers of the da}"-, I think they will be found 
substantially correct in reference to the important 
outline referred to. 

I must bring in the present chapter those legislative 
matters to a close, but before leaving them entirely, I 



592 REMINISCENCES 

will introduce an anecdote, and then go to subjects of 
more gravity and importance. 

We had in the senate, John Griffin, of Allegany 
count}^ who was elected from the eighth senatorial 
district, and had been first judge of his county. He 
was a tall, large, coarse man, of little education, but 
of a strong mind and good sense. I have heard many 
anecdotes of him in regard to his official conduct as 
judge of the court. 

On one occasion the lawj-ers were arguing a case 
before him and his associates, and after listening to 
them a long time the court decided the question, when 
the lawyer, against whom the decision was made, 
went on to argue it over again, to convince the judges 
that they ought to reverse their own decision, and 
decide otherwise. The judge remarked to him once 
or twice that the cause had already been decided, 
and manifested an indisposition to listen to a further 
discussion ; but the law3^er, nothing daunted, persisted 
in his argument, and was several times interrupted by 
the court. At last, becoming somewhat impatient and 
irritated, he remarked that, it was really unpleasant 
to stand there " wrestling with the opinion of the 
court," to which the judge replied in no very courteous 
terms, " Then sit down you d d fool." 

The judge was nominated on the strength of the 
Genesee Valley canal, for which he was a great 
stickler; and his principal- efforts were directed to 
carry the law for his favorite project. When the bill 
was under discussion, he prepared a written speech 
of great length, which he must needs deliver and 
publish, to let his constituents know how vigilant he 
was, and how devoted to the project in which their 
interests, as \vell as his own, were so much concerned. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 393 

He obtained the floor at an afternoon session, and 
commenced reading his speech, which was drawn out 
to an interminable lengtii, on loose sheets of paper. 
The drawer to his desk in front of him, appeared to 
be full of his manuscript, which he went on to read, 
in a drawling, miserable manner, sheet after sheet, 
making many mistakes in his reading, till the senators 
becoming tired of the performance, were all wishing 
him to come to an end. Some left the senate chamber, 
others read the newspapers, and others were writing 
letters, caring little for his remarks; while another 
portion were laughing, and thereby showing their want 
of interest, if not dislike. 

The judge kept on reading, and maintained his 
position and held his countenance with imperturable 
gravity ; and after finishing the large roll of loose 
sheets that were in his desk, when every one hoped 
and supposed he was coming to an end, he deliberately 
unlocked an adjoining desk, and took out a roll larger 
than the first, and then with a smile and wink at some 
of his friends, continued his reading. 

One of the senators playfully proposed to him, that 
the reading of the residue of the speech be dispensed 
with, and that it be printed ; while another suggested 
that it be "read by its title," and adopted. He took 
it in good part, but w^ent on with it till it was com- 
pleted ; and the next day the evening journal came out 
with the great speech in favor of canals, by " the Hon. 
John Griffin;" the editor of the journal having cor- 
rected, pruned, and dressed it up, so that it appeared 
remarkably well in print. 

While the judge was reading his speech. Col. 
Young, who disliked him, and had already had several 
altercations with him, and besides personal dislikes 



394 REMINISCENCES 

abominated his canal project, drew a caricature of a 
large, tall, awkward-looking man, reading an enormous 
manuscript, and wrote under it something like the 
following — " John GrifSn, of Allegany, reading his 
intcrestinor speech in favor of his canal." 

This was found on the judge's desk the next morn- 
ing, who without this aggression, had no very amiable 
feelings towards the writer ; for he as cordially dis- 
liked Col. Young, and had berated him as roundly as 
Young possibly could him. Not to be outdone in these 
kindly notices of each other, the judge immediately 
tried his hand at caricature, and caused to be placed 
on the colonel's desk the result of his labour, which 
was a caricature of the colonel, under which was 
written substantially as follows — " This is Sam Young, 
bank stock speculator, the d — d'st rascal in the state." 

This Griffin regarded as but a fair offset for the 
liberty the colonel had taken, and the feud between 
them, though not entirely allayed, was for a lime 
considerably subdued. 

In a preceding chapter, speaking of railroads, and 
how little was known of them in 1826, I have intro- 
duced a letter written by the late Chancellor Living- 
ston, on that subject. Before closing what I have to 
say, in regard to their invention and introduction for 
general use, T wish to state a few facts, highly credita- 
ble to the inventive genius and enterprise of our 
countrymen. 

The late Col. John Stevens, of Hoboken, father of 
John C. and Robert L. Stevens, Esqs., of the city of 
New York, was distinguished for his enterprise and 
energy of character ; qualities which his sons seem to 
have inherited in an eminent and highly creditable 
degree. When the Erie canal was first projected, and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 395 

I am told by E. F. Johnson, Esq., a distinguished 
engineer, as long ago as 1812, Col. Stevens wrote a 
letter or memorial, in favor of a railroad from the 
Hudson river to Lake Erie, that was addressed to or 
submitted to the late Governor Clinton, and some of 
the other distinguished advocates of the canal project. 
This, it must be borne in mind, was long before rail- 
roads had been introduced, even in England, and in 
fact before they had any adequate conception in that 
country, of what a railway was or ought to be, for 
travel or general business. Colonel Stevens accompa- 
nied his letter or memorial with the description, and I 
believe a rough drawing of a locomotive that he pro- 
posed to invent and construct, to be used on his 
contemplated road. This led to a correspondence, 
the whole of which I am told has been published in 
pamphlet form, though I have never been able to pro- 
cure or examine a copy. He was inquired of, what 
jspeed he expected to obtain, in case his road and 
engine were constructed ? He supposed it might, by 
improvements, be driven to the speed of a pigeon's 
flight, say sixty miles to the hour ; but for practical, 
useful purposes, should be limited to twenty-five or 
thirty miles. 

Those with whom he corresponded, could not com- 
prehend the project as he regarded it, and pronounced 
it altogether visionary, though they gave him credit 
for his splendid conceptions in regard to a matter that 
they supposed impracticable. Mr. Johnson, the en- 
gineer with whom I have recently conversed, informed 
me that he has a copy of the pamphlet, and that the 
locomotive proposed by Col. Stevens included all the 
leading principles, and its plan of construction was 
very similar to the most approved engines now in use 
on our railroads. 



S96 REMINISCENCES 

Another fact in relation to Col. Stevens's inventive 
genius should be mentioned, in regard to steamboats. 
As long ago as 1804, which was a few years before 
Robt. Fulton brought out his first boat on the Hudson, 
and I think before he came back to this country from 
Europe, Col. Stevens constructed a small boat, for 
experimental purposes, in which he placed a steam 
engine, with wheels of the screw or propellor principle, 
and used to run it on the waters of the Hudson. I am 
told that the hull of the boat, with its boiler and 
machinery, has been preserved, just as it was when he 
used it ; and that the same machinery was placed 
in a boat, and attained a speed of eight miles to the 
hour, old and imperfect as it was. These are impor- 
tant and highly creditable facts, that I imagine are 
unknown to the most of our public men, and even 
to those who are distinguished for their general and 
scientific information. 

The late Oliver Evans, not far from this time, 
constructed a boat which he placed on the Delaware, 
and propelled it by machinery worked by steam, 
which, after various experiments on water, was taken 
out and transported through the city of Philadelphia, 
with m.uch parade and many demonstrations of triumph, 
for the supposed important invention. 

I am also told, that the long rolled iron I or T 
rail, now so generally used, was invented and brought 
into use by Robert L. Stevens, Esq. of the city 
of New York, who went to England in 1830 or 1831,' 
to procure heavy rails for the Camden and Amboy 
road, in New Jersey. He wanted rails that in length 
would correspond with the rails now used in this 
country, say about fifteen to eighteen feet ; but there 
was not an iron mill in England or Wales, the 
pwner of which would undertake to furnish rails of 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 397 

that description, or who believed that they had ma- 
chinery capable of rolling them. After much solici- 
tation and negotiation with the owner of one of the 
largest mills in Wales, who was a member of par- 
liament, Mr. Stevens obtained permission to attempt 
the construction, at his own expence, of such rails as 
he described and desired. At that time the only rails 
used in England, were the flat wrought iron rail, 
and the short rail that was cast ; the heavy long T or 
H rail not having been invented. 

He went to the mill and commenced operations, 
but his first efforts were unsuccessful, for he broke the 
machinery of the mill ; and the attempt seemed likely 
to prove a failure. But he persevered, and invented 
or constructed other machinery of more power ; and 
in the end successfully accomplished his object. The 
result was the production of the long, heavy rail, 
as desired, flat on the bottom, and almost precisely 
such as is now used throughout this state, and generally 
most approved of, by our American engineers. 

These are creditable facts to the gendemen who 
have been engaged in them, and they should be ranked 
among the great improvements of the age, and they 
go to prove that enterprise and genius is frequently 
transmitted from father to son. The Messrs. Stevens, 
certainly, as a family, are entitled to great credit 
for their intelligence, public spirit, and dashing, ofl^*- 
hand energy in promoting individual and national 
objects, that go far to elevate the character of our 
countrymen, both at home and abroad. 

During my nine years legislative services, we had 
much legislation in regard to railroads, and my votes 
were generally on the liberal side of those questions. 

Since writing the foregoing in relation to the Messrs. 



398 REMIXISCENCES 

Stevens, I have been furnished with a copy of a very 
interesting lecture, delivered by Hon. Charles King, 
president of Columbia college, on the 29th of Decem- 
ber, 1851, before the mechanics' society of the city of 
New York. It was published in the Daily Tribune, 
January 21st, 1852, and I am told, will soon appear 
in pamphlet form, with additions and notes. It contains 
a vast amount of local information, connected with the 
city and its growth and improvements, and other im- 
provements for the last fifty years, which will profitably 
instruct any one who will give it a perusal. 

I cannot so well illustrate the subject of steamboats 
and railroads, to which allusion has been made, as 
by inserting a few extracts from that lecture. Speak- 
ing of the "early days of steam navigation," he says — 

" But I am running ahead of my subject. Let us 
get back to 1806, from which dates the era of steam 
applied to navigation, and the great discovery — for the 
successful apphcation of a known force in a new 
manner, and to new and before unthought-of purposes, 
may justly be styled a discovery — belongs to our city, 
of which Fulton was a resident, and from which the 
first boat, the Clermont, started for Albany on the 7th 
day of August, 1807. 

"An hour might be readily occupied with a recital 
of the hopes and fears, the almost angry doubts and 
passionate sneers, with which the announcement was 
received, that a boat without sails or oars was to be 
forced up the Hudson to Albany, against wind and 
tide, in a shorter time than was ever dreamed of, and 
all by the vapor which the housewife's tea-pot sends 
curlino; into the air, to vanish in an instant from sijjht. 
For at that time steam engines, as applied to the 
Y,arious processes of manufacturing or other industry 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 399 

on land, were little known, general!}', and the whole 
United States furnished but one machine-shop or foun- 
dry where a steam-engine could be made, and that 
was opposite to this city, at Hoboken, in the works of 
Col. Stevens, of whom more anon." 

In reference to the " progress of river steamers," 
Mr. King remarks as follows : — 

" The palm thus gained by Fulton was closely 
contested by John Stevens, of Hoboken, who long in 
concert with R. R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, had 
made experiments in steam as a means of propulsion ; 
but now aided by the genius and practical mechanical 
skill of his son, R. L. Stevens, was operating separately. 
Almost simultaneously, but yet behind by that fatal 
quarter of an hour which determines the fate of so 
many enterprises, and of so many human beings, both 
men and women, Mr. Stevens produced, independently 
of Fulton's plans and experiments, his steamboat, 
Phoenix ; but precluded by the monopoly which Ful- 
ton's success had obtained for him of the waters of 
New York, Mr. Stevens first employed her as a pas- 
sage boat between this city and New Brunswick, and 
finally conceived the bold purpose of sending her round 
to Philadelphia by sea, and he executed it successfully. 
His son, Robert L. Stevens, went round with the boat 
in the month of June, 1S08. A fierce storm overtook 
them. A schooner in company was driven out to sea, 
and was absent many days ; but the Phoenix made 
a safe harbor at Barnegat, whence, when the storm 
abated, she proceeded safely to Philadelphia, and 
plied many years between that city and Trenton. 
Mr. Stevens thus earned indisputably the honor of first 
venturing and succeeding to encounter the might of 
the ocean with a steam-propelled vessel. When the 



400 REMINISCENCES 

Phoenix went round to Philadelphia, the Atlantic, and 
no other sea, had ever known the domination of vic- 
torious steam. Even now, when our magnificent 
steamers, exceeding in dimensions line-of-battle ships, 
go and come with the regularity of mail-coaches on a 
beaten turnpike road, this first daring conception of 
trusting to the ocean a frail craft, with nothing but 
steam for her means of safety and progress, may recall 
the lines of the Roman lyrist: 

* Illi robur et ses triplex 
Circa pecus erat, qui fragilem truci 
Commisit pelago ratem.' 

' Cased was his breast in triple brass and oak, 
Who first old Ocean's storm-tossed surface broke 
With his frail bark.' 

" And here let me expatiate a little upon the service 
to the mechanic arts, and consequently to the welfare 
of humanity, of the family of Stevens, resident during 
the half-century among us. We have seen that by 
the lucky quarter of an hour, Fulton carried away 
from Stevens the prizeof the first successful steamboat; 
but years before, viz. 1804, Col. Stevens, whose fertile 
and ingenious mind was specially turned to mechanical 
inventions, had constructed and put into operation a 
steamboat, of which the motive power was a propeller, 
the propeller which at this day I believe is admitted, 
in lorm and proportion, to be the best. This boat was 
a small one. In it Col. Stevens put an engine with 
tubular boilers, the first ever made, now universal in 
locomotives. The machinery, made under his own 
direction, and in his own shop at Hoboken, set in 
motion two propellers, of five feet diameter each, and 
each furnished with four blades having the proper 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. ^01 

\ 

twist — to obtain which he had the greatest difficulty 
with his workmen — and set at an angle of about 
thirty-five degrees. This vessel, used only for testing 
the possibility of steam-navigation, so completely demon- 
strated the fact, that Col. Stevens applied it on a 
larger scale, in 1806, to a pirogue, fifty feet long, 
twelve feet wide, seven feet deep, which attained 
very considerable speed. Encouraged thereby, he 
commenced the Phoenix, with side-wheels, to whose 
success allusion has already been made. It is proof 
of the remarkable accuracy and mechanical skill of 
the Hoboken workshop, that the engine of the first 
small propeller, carefully preserved, was set up again 
not more than ten or twelve year^ ago, in a new 
vessel, and, without altering a screw, worked most 
successfully. The old hull and the blades of the 
propeller are yet in existence at Hoboken." 

Then, in reference to railroads and locomotives, 
he has the following, which fully sustains the remarks 
that I have made, in commendation of Col. Stevens 
and his sons, so justly distinguished for talents and 
enterprise. 

EARLY LOCOMOTIVES. 

" The locomotives first used on the Camden and 
Amboy railroad, were made or constructed by Robert 
Stevens, at his works, or upon his models in England, 
differing essentially from those in use in England. 
At the outset he applied a spark-catcher, though 
patents for like contrivances have since been taken out, 
and he invented and applied them, and has continued 
ever since ; and other railways have adopted the 
contrivance of the guide, or cow-catcher, as it is 
commonly called, from an incidental function it dis- 



402 REMINISCENCES 

charges, of which the wheels, easily following the 
curves, give a direction to the forward wheels of the 
locomotive, fixed on an axle slightly moveable, as with 
the forward pair of carriage wheels, and thus enable it^ 
without danger of flying off at a tangent, to diverge 
from its straight, onward, rapid course. 

The invention of the T rail, which renders travel- 
ling so secure, is also due to R. L. Stevens. He went 
to England with the model, presented it to the 
engineers and iron-masters, and begged they would 
make him rails on that pattern, but they all declined, 
saying that they had no machinery which could do it. 
He persisted, and finally obtained from Mr. Guests 
a member of parliament, and a great iron-master, an 
order to use his furnaces in Wales. Mr. Stevens posted 
thither, wrought with his own hands at the work, but 
at the moment of success the machinery gave way, and 
he was obliged to return to London. Yet undismayed, 
and abating no jot of hope, he asked permission, after 
paying himself the expenses of repairing the damage 
to the machinery, to try again. It was given ; he did 
try and succeeded, and gave to the world, taking no 
patent, that form of rail now universal on every secure 
road. So much for an American mechanic." 

The more railroads were brought into use in our 
state, the more I became convinced of their utility, 
and that their construction should be reasonably en- 
couraged. Hence I was for giving liberal charters, 
such as would induce their construction, instead of 
depressing or retarding the project. We had in each 
branch of the legislature, a few who from a pretended 
horror of corporations, voted against every bill, while 
others were for loading them down with restrictions, 
which if adopted must have defeated them. It appears 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 403 

singular now, when railroads are so much in favor, to 
look back fifteen years and observe the strange reasons 
sometimes assigned for voting against them. 

I have heard it argued that they were monopolies, 
inasmuch as each individual had not a right to use it 
at his pleasure, as he would his wagon on the highway. 
Others have expressed a willingness to vote for par- 
ticular railroad bills, if they were so framed that 
individuals might, if they desired it, place their own 
cars on the road and run them ; and would vote against 
them because this impracticable concession was not 
made. Others again, would urge the old fashioned 
mode of locomotion by horse power, over rough roads, 
as decidedly preferable, particularly for the farming 
interest. 

We can hardly conceive that any sensible, practical 
man, who had seen the facility and comfort of railroad 
movements, could desire to resist this great modern 
improvement for the sake of keeping up expensive, 
uncomfortable," antiquated modes of travel, where in 
performing what is now easily accomplished in a day, 
a man and his team would be subjected to seven or 
eight days hard travel. 

They seemed to have no compassion for the poor 
horse, nor even for his owner ; nor did they seem to 
value time as anything. The old lumbering stages, or 
horses and wagons were urged as decidedly preferable. 
Such conceits and narrow prejudices had to be met and 
overcome ; and as it required a vote of two-thirds of 
all the members elected in each house, it was frequent- 
ly necessary to see the houses well filled before 
venturing to take the vote for a railroad charter. 

The charter for the New York and Erie railroad, 
was obtained while I was iu the senate, for which 



o 



404 REMINISCENCES 

I voted, and also for nearly all the subsequent bills 
in favor of that road, up to the close of my senatorial 
term, ending with the year 1838. \ 

The charter of this road was granted in 1832, anl?^ 
was reported in the senate by Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, 
who Was chairman of the railroad committee. We 
had never till this year had a general committee on 
railroads, but since that time a standing committee has 
been appointed at each session. The proposed road 
was to lun a great distance through my senatorial 
district ; and as a large proportion of my constituents 
felt a deep interest in its success, they of course ex- 
pected my support, which from the favorable view 
I entertained of the project, they would have had 
under any circumstances. 

The construction of a road of such length, over a 
country much of it broken, hilly, and forbidding, was 
a herculean task that not only required " faith and 
works" in an eminent degree, but large expenditures 
of money. 

Every one regarded its success with doubt. The 
task was deemed too great. If it could be carried 
through I had no doubt of its importance and utility. 
It would bring the whole range of southern counties, 
then in a measure secluded from the great state tho- 
roughfare, in direct communication with the city of 
New York; and while it promoted the growth and 
markets of the city, would open those counties to 
settlers, induce investments of capital, afford cheap 
and expeditious means of transporting their surplus 
products, and thus renovate the latent energies of those 
counties. All of these benign consequences the city and 
country are now realizing beyond the reasonable expect- 
ations of either, though the road has. but just been 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY, 405 

completed ; and it not only affords a direct communica- 
tion with the city, but connects the intermediate regions 
between the Chenango and Chemung, as it will with 
the Genesee Valley canal, thus enabling those engaged 
in transporting heavy articles on the lateral canals, 
to reach them by steam power on the railroad. 

The bill loaning the credit of the state to the 
amount of $3,000,000, to expedite the construction of 
the road, was passed during the session of 1836, after 
a most sturdy and vindictive opposition. Nearly all the 
canal counties from Albany to Buffalo opposed it, to 
which must of course be added those who opposed 
railroad projects in general, and those who wished to 
withhold state aid, and state credit. 

This bill received my cordial and earnest support ; 
and with a good board of directors ought to have 
ensured the construction of the road at a more early 
day. They so managed that the public lost confidence 
in them, and poorly requited the liberality of the state. 
1 thought while' the state was doing so much for canals, 
through other portions, the southern counties were 
entitled to public aid ; and if the road could be con- 
structed, even if the $3,000,000 should eventually be 
lost, I cared little about it ; for, from the increase of 
population and wealth, the state in the end would be 
the gainer, as I have no doubt it will be. Every one 
now sees and admits the importance of this great 
thoroughfare ; and who can now regret the aid of the 
state ? 

The bill was debated in the senate for several days, 
and I think passed in committee of the whole by a 
small majority, on 20th April, 1836, on which day 
I closed the debate in favor of the bill. 

A few extracts from my remarks, the whole of 



406 REAIINISCENCES 

which were published in the daily Albany Argus, and 
in pamphlet form, will show some of the views enter- 
tained in res^ard to this road as well as others. 

My extracts must be brief. In reference to the 
project, it was said : — 

" In a case like the present, where so large an 
expenditure is contemplated, where so extensive a 
district is to be benefitted, and where such important 
results are to follow, I should deem it an incalculable 
evil, if the state, by withholding its encouragement, 
should lose the benefit of this vast expenditure of pri- 
vate Capital, so essential to the prosperity of that part 
of the state where it is to be expended. 

" The magnitude and extent of the project, com- 
mends itself strongly to the favor of the state, and 
invokes its aid to encourage and give confidence to the 
credit and exertions of private enterprise. It contem- 
plates the construction of a railroad greater in extent 
than any one that has ever been made, and looking to 
more important results. There is a magnitude and 
boldness in the project, — a moral grandeur that chal- 
lenges admiration and baffles description, holding in 
suspense and awe the most vivid imagination, in refer- 
ence to results, and far outstripping and confounding 
the conceptions of the timid. 

" Commencing on tide waters, at or near the ' com- 
mercial emporium,' it stretches away to the west ; 
climbs with audacious boldness the Apalachian range ; 
traverses the romantic and delightful vallies of the 
Delaware and Susquehanna rivers and their tribu- 
taries, for more than two hundred miles ; communicates 
with the Allegany, thereby opening to the Ohio and 
Mississippi valley and Gulf of Mexico ; and uniting 
with Lake Erie, on whose capacious bosom the com- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 407 

modities of the east will be distributee^ to the borders 
of our other immense inland seas for many thousand 
miles." 

Again : — 

" Let me inquire what benefits will result from 
this bill?. By its passage, you give the company such 
credit and assistance as will enable them to complete 
the work, at a much earlier day than if left to their 
own exertions. By its construction you open a thorough- 
fare from New York to Lake Erie, on a route remote 
from the canal, and afford facilities for business and 
a ready and cheap access to market, to an extensive 
and important part of the state. Not only the inhabi- 
tants of this state, but those of Northern Pennsylvania 
and the western states, will be greatly benefited, while 
the city of New York will acquire additional facilities 
for business. 

" This great thoroughfare can be used, when the 
Hudson river, the Erie canal, and lake Erie, are 
blocked up with ice ; and with its construction, goods 
may be thrown into the valley of the Ohio, by descend- 
ing the Allegany, before the other channels of commu- 
nication are open. In addition to these commercial 
advantages, great agricultural benefits will result from 
the construction of the road ; an impetus will be given 
to business from the expenditure of money ; labor and 
agricultural products will be in demand ; farms will 
greatly increase in value ; and public attention being 
turned in that direction, your southern counties will 
fill up with inhabitants." 

Now are not the foregoing anticipations nearly^ 
realized, though the road is but just completed? Tiie 
recent census goes far to illustrate, the propositions, in 
reference to improvements and increased value of 



403 REMINISCENCES • 

property, and great augmentation of population. Look 
at the increase in those coiTnties, and see their advance^ 
no doubt greatly stimulated by the construction of the 
road." 

A further extract : — 

" Construct this road, and it will be but a few 
years before yonr state will be cut up with railroads 
like a checker-board, connecting this with the Erie 
canal. I think it not extravagant to look for one from 
Attica to the New York and Erie road, thus connecting 
with Roches.ter and Buffalo. Another may be looked 
for from Ithica to Auburn, and thence to the canal. 
Another from Binghamton or Oswego, to Syracuse; 
and another from Utica, down the Unadilla, to the 
Susquehanna valley. 

*' Nor is this all. It will be but a few years before 
a railroad will be carried up lake Erie, uniting with 
some one or more of the railroad routes to the Missi- 
sippi. Fifteen years will probably accomplish all this, 
and I think ten years will show a continuous and 
unbroken communication by railroads and steamboats, 
from New York to St. Louis. And may we not look 
for more important results ? Who that looks back to 
the commencement of the present century, and com- 
pares the then situation of what now constitutes the 
western states, with their present improved condition, 
can limit his anticipations for far greater improvements, 
and a vast increase of wealth and population, for the 
next thirty-six years ? Is it extravagant to believe, that 
before another thirty-six years expire, we shall not 
only have an organized state government bej^ond the 
rocky mountains, with important commercial cities, 
but a communication by steamboat and railroad, to 
the mouth of the Columbia? 



BY LEVI BBARDSLEY. 409 

" The Missouri already affords navigation for thou- 
sands of miles ; and gentlemen who have crossed the 
continent, represent the route to the Pacific as pecu- 
liarly favorable for railroad communication. 

" In my judgment twenty-five 3^ears will consum- 
mate this object, and when accomplished, what im- 
portant results must follow ! With a rail and steam 
communication from New York to St. Louis, and 
thence to the Columbia river, the whole distance may 
be traversed in less than twenty da3'^s, and thus open 
a direct communication with China. The effect ot 
such communication will be, to turn a great proportion 
of the American trade with China and the neiuhborins: 
countries, in this direction ; and instead of a dangerous 
and protracted voyage round Cape Horn or the Cape 
of Good Hope, six months, will be sufficient; and some 
favorite city on the Pacific will become the great point 
where the trade of the eastern and western world will 
concentrate, and from whence it will radiate, and 
diffuse itself through the various avenues of our re- 
public, and to nations with whom we are in communi- 
cation." 

In regard to the importance of this great thorough- 
fare, and of the anticipations put forward in the fore- 
going remarks. Col. Medara, of Columbus, Ohio, in 
the Ohio Statesman (state paper) of January 15, 1845, 
when speaking of the occupation and improvement of 
Oregon, and the adjustment of its boundary, has the 
following remarks : — 

" The Hon. Levi Beardsley, of this city, has sent 
us, at our request, (for we delight to spread and 
re-spread before the world any thing connected with 
this great subject) an extract of a speech dehvered by 
him in the New York Senate, in 1836. We scarcely 



410 REMINISCENCES 

believe it will be twenty-five years from that time, 
which will be 1861, before we shall have a connected 
route of railroads and steamboats, from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific, over the Rocky mountains, and Mr. Beard- 
sley's prophecy will then be history." 

One extract more from the railroad speech. 

" In reference to the bill under consideration, I 
must be permitted to say, that I think I can see in 
prospect, cities and villages springing up on this road, 
to rival those on the Erie canal ; and it is not an 
extravagant prediction to suppose, that whoever shall 
live a quarter of a century after the road is completed, 
will see several cities on its route, more than surpassing 
what Utica is now. 

" It will serve as a chain, connecting the southern 
extremities of your lateral canals, rendering access 
easy and cheap for such articles as may be carried on 
them. 

" When I look at the map of New York, and con- 
teilriplate what she now is, and her future greatness, 
I am proud of my native state. I look abroad, and 
perceive her great commercial metropolis inviting the 
commerce and unlocking the treasures, not only of 
our own, but of foreign lands. I perceive the noble 
rivers, the capacious lakes, the immense water power, 
the fertility of its soil, the healthiness and salubrity of 
its climate, the wealth and enterprise of its citizens ; 
and I then look at the works of internal improvement, 
that within fifteen years have added so much to the 
credit, the wealth, prosperity, and population of the 
state, and inquire whether this glorious career is to be 
arrested? It cannot, it must not stop here. 

"And now let me ask, why should we withhold 
our assent to this bill? The spirit of improvement 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 411 

and enterprise is abroad, teeming with energy and 
giant strength ; developing the resources of the country, 
improving its avenues of communication, and diffusing 
weakh, prosperit}'', and blessings in its onward course. 
Shall we check its course, and wither its energies? or 
by extending the fostering aid of government, give 
such strength and impetus to private enterprise, as 
shall secure the early and certain consummation of 
this stupendous project ■? Our course is onward, and 
no limited views should withhold the countenance or 
aid of government, where such important results will 
follow. Let us seize the auspicious moment, with a 
firm hope that our best anticipations will be more than 
realized. 

" Sir, I will not longer detain the committee, but 
commit this subject, with the rights, interests, feelings, 
and wishes of more than one-third of your citizens, to 
the decision of those whose duty it is to pass on this 
momentous question. If you reject it, you blast the 
hopes of thousands whose hearts have beat high, while 
they have fondly cherished the hope of success. I 
trust that in these, their just expectations, they are not 
to be disappointed. They have been represented as 
'abiding in a wilderness.' If this be so, and the 
southern counties are to be so regarded, I trust that in 
the vote of this committee, ' the wilderness and solitary 
'places shall he made glad:'' and those inhabitants of the 
mountains, who, on a former occasion, my friend from 
the seventh (Mr. Edwards,) seemed to think were 
occupying high places better suited for wild beasts 
than civilized men ; who, like the Kenites, are re- 
presented as seated on a rock, I trust that even these 
will also be made glad ; and as they look from their 
giddy heights, so graphically described, to the delibe- 



4ia REMINISCENCES 

rations of the senate, watching with intense anxiety 
its action, I hope, in the success of this bill, it may 
soon be said of them, ' Let the inhabitants of the rock 
sing, let them shout with joy from the tops of the 
mountains.' " 

The bill was finally .passed ; and the splendid 
business now doing on the road gives sure evidence ot 
success hereafter, and vindicates the policy of the 
state in its legislative and pecuniary aid. 

Before leaving the subject of railroads,! may as 
well remark that, during the Autumn of 1S49, I 
received an invitation from a committee of citizens of 
St. Louis, to attend a national convention at that place, 
on the 15th October, to deliberate on the expediency of 
connecting the Mississippi valley with the Pacific by 
railroad and telegraphic communications. The hospi" 
talities of the city were tendered, and the invitation was 
every way flattering and acceptable. Not being able 
to attend, I enclosed to the committee an extract from 
my railroad speech, in which I had alluded to the 
project, and also the editorial remarks of Col. Medara, 
before referred to. A portion of my letter to the com- 
mittee, in answer to theirs may not be inappropriate. 

" For more than thirteen years, as you will perceive 
by the enclosed extract, I have looked to the connection of 
the Adantic with the Pacific, by steamboat and rail- 
road, as an event that certainly must take 'place. 

At that early day, those most ardent in their 
devotion to internal improvements, could but barely 
dream of a project so stupenduous without being re- 
oarded as moon struck visionaries ; and yet there has 
been no time since that period that I have doubted its 
ultimate success. 

" The adjustment of the Oregon boundary, the 



• BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 413 

acquisition of New Mexico and California, the immense 
emigration to those countries, and the attraction of 
mineral wealth, afford inducements for an early con- 
nection with those far off regions, that no one thought 
of in 1836. 

" There is, as your address intimates, great danger 
of losing those distant territories, and the establish- 
ment of an independent confederated western repubhc, 
unless more easy and rapid communications can be 
established. You might have enlarged and illustrated 
a principle which you merely hinted at, that (in the 
?■ language of a distinguished author,) 'Every improve- 
ment of the means of locomotion, benefits mankind 
morally and intellectually, as well as materially, and not 
only facilitates the interchange of the various product- 
ions of nature and art, but tends to remove national 
and provincial antipathies, and to bind together all the 
branches of the great human family.' 

" The means to accomplish the work must in a 
great measure depend on the action of congress. No 
individual exertions or combinations are adequate. 
Perhaps a judicious combination of individual and 
national means may be deemed advisable. 

" Whether your city shall be the place of departure 
from the Mississippi, as I have heretofore supposed, 
or whether a more northern or southern route is to be 
adopted, must, of course, depend upon explorations, 
surveys and estimates yet to be made. Judging from 
maps and what I have read, it seems probable that 
when the road is commenced it will be up the Missouri, 
at least as far as the western boundary of your state, 
using the river to reach the starting point, until a road 
. shall be made through your state, and thus avoiding t-he 
embarrassing question of state rights. In any event 



41^ REMINISCENCES 

your city must participate largely in the trade and bene- 
fits resulting from the success of the project. An attempt 
to connect two oceans, more than three thousand miles 
asunder, is of a magnitude to alarm the timid, and to 
induce doubts and fears from those most ardent and 
sanguine. But look at it as it is. We have at this moment' 
steam communication by boat and railways from New- 
York and Boston to your cit}"-, and thence by the 
Missouri more than five hundred miles west, thus 
making near half the distance from ocean to ocean. 
Now, with the experience we have in railroad makings 
I regard the construction of a road from your west- 
ern borders, with branches to Oregon and Califor* 
nia, by no means so doubtful of success, or onerous lo 
the nation, as the Erie canal was regarded to the sia-a 
of New Yo.rk, in lS17j and yet that was completed 
in seven years and the debt soon paid off. Yont 
project while confined to the territories, is free frora 
constitutional objections, even with the most strict co\i»j 
structionists, for no considerable number deny VAe 
power of congress to make roads for military purposes, 
for the transmission of the mail, and to enhance the 
value of public lands ; and whether lands are appro- 
priated, (of which there are numerous precedents) or 
their avails in money, there can be no constitutional 
difference in principle. The great, point at present to 
be attained, to render success certain, is to enlist the 
general government, in a united> well-considered, and 
enlightened effort to promote the object. Rival interests 
and projects must be reconciled ; for, to accomplish a 
work of such magnitude we must have united councils, as 
Veil as efforts. With these secured, your hopes and the 
expectations of the nation will eventually be realized ; 
and the stately goings forth of the * iron horse' as he, 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 415 

drags the ponderous train across the almost boundless 
plains that skirt your frontier, and stretch away to the 
west, will be viewed with astonishment by the back- 
woodsman, and the red men of the forest. The shrill 
scream of the steam whistle will enliven the recesses 
of the Rocky Mountains, and those barriers of nature 
that have stood in solitary grandeur, frowning defiance 
since their creation, will j^ield to scientific application 
of mechanical skill ; and their subjugation will add 
another chaplet to American enterprise. To carry 
forward this un parallelled project, is the object of your 
convention, which, if successful, will remain a monu- 
ment of American energy, firm and durable as the 
mountains themselves. There is an indomitable resolu- 
tion in our countrymen, that yields to no discouraging 
circumstances, but surmounts all obstacles. If the 
nation wills the road desirable, means will be found 
for its construction. It is for your convention to take 
wise, incipient measures, to promote a union of senti- 
ment, to develope the means, and then to press to 
completion the great work, in which 5^ou have my 
warmest sympathies and most ardent hopes. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant 

Levi Beardsley." 

I have formerly thought favorably of the project of 
Asa Whitney, esq., for constructing a railroad to the 
Pacific; not perhaps in all its details, but in the 
general proposition of governmental aid, by a liberal 
donation of public lands to him, or in some other mode 
to promote the great object. 

He contemplated starting from the westerly side of 
Lake Michigan, and desired an extensive grant of 
lands on each side of his road. The longer the project 
is delayed, the less inducement will remain for com- 



•11.6 REMINISCENCES 

plying with his wishes. The lands in Wisconsin, from 
Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, have been sold to a 
great extent, so that the requisite grant could hardly 
be obtained even if congress was prepared to adopt and 
carry out his favorite project, which from present 
appearances they will not do. But there are .other 
objections which in my judgment should control the 
question in regard to authorizing a road from the Lake. 

Those objections are, that at least two railroads are 
now being constructed, that will connect the Lake 
with the Mississippi, and perhaps three. 

The road from Chicago will undoubtedly be finished 
within a few years, and perhaps another from Mil- 
waukie. Then it is very certain that a road will 
be made through central or lower part of Illinois, 
that will terminate on the Mississippi, at the west. 

In addition to these, there is but little doubt that a 
road will be made from Cincinnati to St. Louis ; and 
from St. Louis a road will unquestionably be con- 
structed to the western boundary of Missouri, which 
for one hundred miles is now under contract. Then 
again, another road is contemplated, and I believe 
authorized, that will probably very soon be made, 
starting from the Mississippi a considerable distance 
above St. Louis, and running through or near the 
southerly part of Iowa, westerly to the Missouri river. 
And still another, from some point on the Mississippi, 
in Arkansas, and running westerly or north-west, to 
connect with th& road now constructing from St. Louis, 
in the direction of Independence, near the westerly 
line of Missouri. Th^se several roads will probably 
soon be completed, from individual and state enter- 
prise, stimulated by grants from congress of portions 
of the public domain. 

Now in my judgment, the Pacific railroad, properly 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 417 

speaking, so far as it is to be regarded as a national 
work, should start at some point westerly of the western 
boundary of Missouri, at or near that boundary where 
the three roads referred to can concentrate, and from 
thence should be carried westerly by one principal 
stem. The first thing congress should do to promote 
this great object, should be an accurate and scientific 
survey, to ascertain where these roads may most fea- 
sibly concentrate, to form a starting point for the road 
to the west. Then let a careful survey and estimate 
be made, by competent engineers, for a road leading 
away to the Pacific, and the best plan adopted for its 
construction. 

To start at that western point, and work away to 
the west, towards the Pacific, will afford ample space 
for enterprise, and require all the means that can be 
spared, without building a single rod of road that can 
be dispensed with. 

If the road shall ever be authorised, its eastern 
terminus should be as far west as the Missouri line, 
or in no event further east than the Mississippi; for 
why build another road from Lake Michigan to the 
western boundary of Missouri? The facilities for 
reaching California, and in short any part of the 
Pacific coast, by the way of Nicaragua and Chagres, 
render the railroad of less importance than it would 
otherwise be ; but still it is very desirable to open a 
quick, safe, and convenient communication by land, 
through our own territories, and thus bring those far 
off regions, in communication with the eastern portions 
of the republic. 

I have great confidence in the project, and hope 
and believe a few years will see it authorized and 
commenced ; but national efforts, in the present state 
27 



.418 __- EEMINISCENCES 

of affairs, taking into consideration . the sale of lands 
between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi, and thence 
through Iowa to its western borders, should be con- 
fined to a road from these western borders to the 
Pacific. The immense emigration going on to Cali- 
fornia and Oregon, and the certainty of a continued 
and rapid increase, from which new states will soon 
be formed, and the present state and territory on the 
Pacific, greatly augmented in point of numbers, every 
day increases the national importance of such a road. 

Congress should no longer remain passive, but the 
energies and means of the government should be put 
forward, if not for the whole expense, at, least for a 
portion that should stimulate and sustain private enter- 
prise till the great project is completed. 

We have already seen, in the preceding pages, 
how little was known of railroads in 1826, when the 
first charter was granted in this state. It also appears 
that Chancellor Livingston, the enlightened and liberal 
patroniser of steam navigation, had no adequate idea 
of what railroads should be, or of what could be per- 
formed on these great modern improvements. I sup-^ 
pose the fertile brain of Col. Stevens, in ISll, came 
much nearer, in its "conceptions of what might be 
expected, and of the importance to be derived from 
their construction, than any man then living. In 1831,~ 
which was twenty years after Col. Stevens had pro- 
. posed constructing railroads, they were with us re- 
garded as experiments merely. The Albany and 
Schenectady road, in the early part of that year, though 
under contract and far advanced, was not completed. 
At that timC;, our attention was drawn to the improve- 
ments going on in England ; and though nothing, like 
the present speed had been attained, yet, all eyes were 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 419 

turned in that direction, wondering and speculating 
on what was to be the result. 

In 1S30 I entered the senate, and Hon. Nathaniel 
P. Tallmadge, as before remarked, was elected at the 
same time, and came into that body in the same class 
with me. Mr. TaHmadge was an enlightened legislator, 
and from his enlarged and liberal views, in reference 
to internal improvements, had sustained the policy of 
Governor Clinton in regard to canals. At the legisla- 
tive session of 1S31, Mr. Tallmadgq was chairman of 
the canal committee in the senate, and on 14th of 
February of that year made a report which he had 
drawn, distinguished for talents, liberal views, and a 
full appreciation of the extent and importance of the 
question brought under consideration. 

This was twenty j'-ears before the completion of 
the Hudson river railroad ; and though such a project 
had been at times casually spoken of, and some of 
sanguine temperament had hinted that such a road 
might at a future, day be constructed; yet almost 
every one looked at the suggestion as the coinage of a 
distempered brain, and visionary in the extreme. 

Since the successful completion of that stupendous 
work, many are now ready to claim great foresight in 
its projection and auspicious termination, who in 1S31 
would have repudiated and denounced any one who 
had favorably listened to it, as wanting in sound 
practical good sense, and altogether an unsafe adviser. • 

If there is any merit in having, at that early day, 
listened to and heeded the suggestions, and thereby 
given credence to the possibility of success in such an 
undertaking, Mr. Tallmadge, as I will shortly show, 
should be regarded as one of those who gave credit to 
its probable realization, by discussing, and not rejecting 
it as visionary. 



420 REMINISCENCES 

The report to which I have referred, and from 
which I am about to make an extract, may be found 
in senate documents No. 82, of 1831, where, speaking 
in reference to the further prosecution of new works of 
internal improvements by the state, Mr. Tallmadge 
discusses the subject as follows : — 

" The determination of this question depends on a 
variety of general considerations, which will be briefly 
examined, without reference to any particular applica- 
tions. The subject of internal improvements, by means 
of railroads, has been referred to another committee of 
the senate, from whom., it is presumed, it will receive 
a satisfactory examination. Your committee therefore, 
only allude to it in this place, in reference to the 
general question. It is worthy of the most serious 
consideration, how far or to what extent, railroads are 
to take the place of or supersede canals. Both modes 
of intercommunication have their respective advocates. 
Railroads are in their infancy. From the experience 
already derived from their construction and practical 
operation, it is difficult to determine and impossible to 
foresee the extent to which they may be carried. It 
is certain that in -many instances, the expectations of 
the friends of their construction have been crowned, 
with entire success. 

*' The benefits of internal commerce depend upon 
the facility and rapidity of transportation. The ad- 
vantages of canals, as a means of transportation, over 
land carriage, we have already experienced ; but it 
is impossible to calculate the additional benefits which 
railroads may confer, when used for carrying passen- 
gers and valuable commodities The application of 
steam power to the propelling of canal boats, is an 
experiment which has partially been made, and prob- 
ably little can be anticipated from it. No greater 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 421 

facility or rapidity can therefore be expected on canals, 
than what we now have ; but when steam power is 
applied to railroads, we are amazed at a velocity which 
only lags hehind the celerity of thought. 

" The experiments have been most effectually made 
in England ; and we are now using the experience 
that has been there acquired in the construction of 
numerous similar works in this country. 

" The one now under contract between Albany and 
Schenectady, is held in high estimation by the public, 
and little doubt is entertained that the most sanguine 
anticipations of its friends will be fully realized. 

" In reference to this subject also, your committee 
cannot refrain from alluding to the bold enterprise said 
to be in contemplation, of constructing a railroad from 
Albany to New York, — of uniting the capital of the 
state with the great commercial emporium ot the 
union. This to many may appear chimerical. The 
idea of a railroad on the banks of the Hudson river, 
indeed excites surprise by its unexpectedness, and 
wonder by its novelty. A river, for its extent, and 
as a connecting link in the great water communication 
between the Atlantic and the lakes, not surpassed in 
the known world. An attempt by such means to 
divert from their accustomed channel, the thousands 
upon thousands of individuals and of value that seemed 
destined for ages to be wafted on its majestic current, 
may well challenge our utmost credulity. But from 
the experience of the past, who shall pretend to fix 
limits to the future? 

" A quarter of a century has not yet elapsed since 
the idea of navigating the Hudson by steam was 
deemed infinitely more extravagant than the contem- 
plated railroad on its banks ! 



422 REMINISCENCES 

" Whatever may be the result of railroads, in 
reference to particular undertakings, it is sufficient for 
our present purpose to observe that their practical 
benefits have to a degree been already tested ; and 
when we reflect that they may be used at seasons 
of the year when canals and navigable streams are 
locked up by ice, it is worthy of the serious attention 
of individuals and of government, whether they ma)' 
not, to a considerable extent, at least, be successfully 
and advantageously intrqduced." 

In twenty years from the time the above report was 
made, a railroad on thebanks of the Hudson was in 
full operation ! and in the language of the report, " we 
are amazed, at a velocity which only lags heldnd the 
celerity of thought P 

That great thoroughfare being now completed, and in 
successful operation ; and after witnessing the construct- 
ion of the New York and Erie, .the Hudson river and 
Harlem railroads, who can set limits to the onward 
course and march of the country ? 

With free scope for railroad competition I suppose 
our canals will sustain themselves, and. realize the just 
expectations of their friends and patrons. 

The growth, extent, and improvements of the 
country, will probably keep pace with the facilities of 
transportation, and we shall find an accumulation of 
yearly business sufficient for all. 

I have great confidence in the belief, that when 
the Erie canal is enlarged so that we have more 
breadth and depth of water, ' steam power will be 
so applied as to be more rapid in its movements, and 
in a great measure relieve the poor horse from the 
annual labor, the fatigues and hardships of which 
destroy so many of those noble and useful animals. 



EY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 4'23 

In short, after witnessing so many, such great 
and varied applications of steam, and then add the 
surprising perfection of telegraphic communication bv 
which thought is transmitted with lightning speed, and 
electricity subjected to science and philosoph}'-, I am 
about prepared to assent to any proposition having 
improvements in view. At this age of the world he 
must be a bold man who pronounces any invention 
impossible. It is about time to strike that word from 
our vocabulary. 

Citizen Genet, during the latter days of his life, 
was an enthusiast in the belief that balloons would be 
brought to such perfection, that eventually the intrepid 
aeronaut would so far subject the wind and elements 
to his control, as to make distant voyages with celerity, 
regularity, and safety. He would argue the question, 
and explain his views at great length ; and I used 
to listen to him with pleasure, for he was a man of 
learning and genius, and I am by no means certain 
but that a few years more may realise those fervid 
anticipations in which he used to indulge. Quite as 
strange things have come to pass, and others may 
follow, to astonish those who come after us, if not 
within our own day and generation. 



424 HEMINISCBNCES 



CHAPTER XXIL 

Charter of Centred Bank. — A. M. Scliermerhorn First Cashier. 
— Judge White First President. — Notice of him. — Dr. 
Little, Notice of him and other Officers of the Bank. — 
Fecuniary affairs. — Revulsions in 1833, '7, Sfc, and 
Losses. — Rejnove to Oswego, 1839. — Failure of Commer- 
cial Bank of Oswego. — Notice of Osioego and its future 
Prospects. — Remove to Columbus, Ohio, 1842. — Loss hy 
Fire. — Farming, and Large Crop of Corn. — Broken 
Arm, and otJier Incidents. — Notice of Columhus. — Return 
to- Ncio York, 1846. — Candidate in 1847 for Supreme 
Court Judge. — Popular Excitement. — Jenny Lind. — La 
Fayette.— Ii.ossuth. 

I HAD assisted in obtaining the charter of the Central 
Bank at Cherry Valley, at the legislative session of 
1S18, and was one of the commissioners to receive 
subscription for stock. The stock being taken, the 
bank went into operation the autumn of that year, 
under the auspices of Hon. Abraham M. Schermerhorn, 
as cashier, who is member of the present congress 
from Rochester, Monroe county, and was also a mem- 
ber of the last. Mr. Schermerhorn was a man of 
decided talents, managed the bank with great ability, 
and finally went to Rochester six years afterwards, 
where for many years he was the leading and most 
popular financier in western New York. He is shrewd, 
kind-hearted, sincere and ardent in his friendships ; 
and I have always regarded him as a high-minded, 
honorable, and honest man. I had a respectable por- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 425 

tlon of stock in the new bank, and was a director from 
its first organization till I left Cherry Valley, the autumn 
of 1839. 

Dr. Joseph White, of Cherry Valle}'', who for many 
years past was first judge of the county of Otsego, was 
the first president of the bank. He was a wealth}'' 
man, and had acquired it by industrious and constant 
attention to his profession as physician and surgeon. 
As an operator in surgery he was highly distinguished, 
and for many years was justly regarded as standing 
at the head of his profession, and was unquestionably 
the best surgeon in the state west of Alban}^ For 
several years he was connected with the medical 
institution at Fairfield, Herkimer County, and left it 
with high reputation. He was a careful, prudent man, 
and safe adviser in the management of the bank, and 
so too in regard to money matters generall3^ 

Dr. Wiiite came to the county at an early day, 
with limited means, and was the architect of his own 
fortune. He was always kind-hearted and liberal to 
the poor, against whom his professional bills were 
remarkabi}'' moderate ; and he never oppressed or 
harrassed his debtors, to compel payment. He was a 
money-lender, but never took more than legal interest : 
a man of intelligence, excellent judgment, and beyond 
all question of strict integrity. In his polilics he was 
a high-toned federalist, and exercised much authority 
and influence v»^ith his part}'', to v.'hich, from his position 
and standing in society, he was justly entitled. 

He died in the spring of 1832, leaving a high and 
enviable professional reputation. His son, Dr. Delos 
White, the father of Hon. Joseph L. White, of the city 
of New York, had for several 3rear3 before the death 
of his father, acquired a reputation in his profession, of 



426 REMINISCEISrCES 

nearly equal celebrity. He too had been at the head 
of one of the departments in the medical college already 
mentioned, and on the decease of his senior, was 
looked upon as almost the only man who could fill the 
place of his deceased but distinguished ancestor, whom 
he survived but a few years, having died in 1835. 

Dr. David Little, from the adjoining town of Spring- 
field, was the second president of the bank, and re- 
mained such till his decease, in the fall of 1S32, when 
I was elected president in his place, and remained 
such till my removal from Cherry Valley, the latter 
part of 1839. 

The bank was always well managed, its affairs 
were conducted with rigid economy, in strict reference 
to the interest of stockholders, and for the accommoda- 
tion of the public. No one connected with that bank 
has occasion to blush for any mismanagement during 
the third of a century since it went into operation. 

Dr. Little was a man of excellent judgment, stood 
remarkably well in his profession, was skilful and 
successful in the management of his pecuniary affairs, 
sustained a fair reputation, and is justly entitled to the 
praise of having presided over and protected the in- 
terest of the bank, with vigilance and consummate 
skill. I have always found him honest, honorable, 
and upright. Ansel St. John was the second cashier ; 
and was not only correct, and in every respect well 
qualified, but was remarkably popular with the direc- 
tors and with customers generally. On his leaving 
the bank, the present cashier, Horatio J. Olcott suc- 
ceeded him, and David H. Litde, Esq. the present 
president, succeeded me in 1839. 

The bank continues to be well managed, and is 
popular, and now as formerly makes good dividends. 



UY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 427^ 

While connected with it, I for several years owned 
nearly one-fourth of the stock, and was its attorney. 
A share of its business, added to a respectable profes- 
sional business besides, enabled me, with the semi- 
annual bank dividends, to make and save considerable 
money. 

In 1S33, '34, or '3-5, I could have paid off all my 
debts, and have saved ^50,000, at least, and I think 
from S55,000 to S60,000. 

Here I made an irretrievable mistake, which at 
( my present advanced period of life, I can never expect 
to correct. As a prudent man, I ought to have invested 
$10,000 for ray wife, and 5,000 for each of my four 
children, which would have left me with at least 
$20,000 and my profession to support myself and 
family, while those sums at interest would have yielded 
seven per cent., and by annual accumulations would 
have soon doubled. I did not do so ; and shall never 
forgive myself for the neglect. Like many others, I 
purchased real estate, hoping to profit from its rise 
in value. 

The change of times and revulsions in 1836, '37, 
and several succeeding years, first depressed and 
afterwards destroyed the value of that kind of property, 
so that the more an embarrassed man had, the poorer 
he was esteemed. It is needless to remark that I lost 
money by these purchases ; nearly every one did so. 
{T But my investments in land and subsequent losses 
were not so great as ruinously to impair my estate, had 
I not endorsed and lent my name to friends. In almost 
every instance they were ruined, either by improvident 
purchases or failure of those upon whom they relied. 
The result was, I had to pay where I had thus become 
liable, and " pocket the loss." In some cases I had to 



428 REMINISCENCES 

take encumbered real estate and wild lands, with 
occasional bonds and mortgages, inadequately secured. 

The lands thus taken in payment, and many of the 
securities became of little value, and I might about as 
well have lost the entire debts for which I was liable, 
as to be plagued and harrassed with such property. 
To these should be added a large amount, (nearly 
$-30,000,) principal and interest growing out of the sale 
of bank and railroad stock, for which I had paid 
nothing but cash ; and on the sale of which I never 
realized anything worth mentioning. These various 
losses with liabilities for others, indicated very clearly 
that I must go to work where I could earn nloney and 
retrieve my affairs. 

I had recently got through with eight years se- 
natorial service, which of itself was pretty well cal- 
culated to deplete the pockets ; while so many years 
public service from home, necessarily lost me my 
clients, and impaired my business.- 

Stockholders in the Commercial Bank of Oswego, 
a bank very much embarrassed, desired me to go there 
and take it in charge, with a view of sustaining, and 
ultimately restoring it to credit. 

They made me a liberal offer, which I concluded 
to accept, and went there in October, 1839. In going 
I committed an error, for the bank was so much 
crippled, that it was soon apparent that nothing could 
save it, short of a heavy contribution from the stock- 
holders, which on being made known, some made the 
required advances, while others refused, and ultimately 
the bank v/as forced into liquidation ; winding up dis- 
astrously for all concerned. 

On going to Oswego I resigned the presidency 
of the Central Bank, and ceased to be a director, as I 
had been twenty-one years ; thus entirely dissolving 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 429 

my connection with that institution, so far as its ma- 
nagement was concerned. As it turned out it was a 
most unfortunate move. I had done more than any 
one, except Judge Hammond, in obtai'ning the charter; 
had spent considerable money in attendance in Albany; 
and when an extension or renewal of the charter was 
obtained, Judge Morse and myself devoted much of 
our time to it, for which we never received a farthing. 
For our expences, the bank made some advances, but 
not to the full amount of our outla3's ; nor was anything 
ever paid by the bank for expences in procuring the 
charter. Thus the stockholders, without expense, 
derived the full benefit growing out of the charter, 
which I very much doubt can be said of any other 
bank in the state. 

At the time of renewing the charter, and accepting 
it under the " safety fund" system, Judge Morse and 
myself had more political influence with the legislature 
than all the other stockholders put together ; and the 
bank had the benefit of this influence. So also, for 
nine 5^ears, while I was in the assembly and senate, 
for which positions I was under no obligation to 
the bank ; yet in all legislation my course Avas con- 
servative in reference to banks, and would have been 
so, even had my interest not been identified with them. 

Banking so far entered into, and was connected 
with the business and affairs of life, that no one could 
wish to cripple them, unless he was prepared to 
embarrass, if not destroy his friends and business men 
generally. The sad results that followed the suspension 
of specie payments ; the universal depression in value 
of property ; the bankruptcies of individuals ; and 
general distress that pervaded the communitj^ should 
serve as a warning against contributing to bring about 
a like result. 



430 REMINISGENCES 

Were I again clothed with legislative power, I 
would do DO act that would be likely to place the banks 
in a dishonored position ; and hence I deprecate 
legislation that is calculated to create distrust, or to 
excite prejudices against well conducted institutions. , 
It is trifling with individual interests, and often resulting ; 
in losses to widows, orphans, and minors, as well ' 
as those enraared in the active duties of life. Well 
conducted banks alwa3^s found me ready to protect 
and defend them against factious and malevolent 
assaults. 

My connection with and claims on the Central 
Bank, were such, that they ought not to have been 
severed so long as it could have been avoided. 

Breaking up and removing from Cherry Valley, 
necessarily required sales and sacrifice of property, 
and threw me entirely out of professional business ; so' 
that in this view, as matters turned, it would have 
been better to have remained there. Before removing 
from the village, my old neighbors honored m.e with a 
public dinner, at which toasts were drank, speeches . 
were made, and " Auld Lang Syne" was sung by the 
whole company. 

I was then president of the Cherry Valley Agricul- 
tural Society, and a large number of its members 
attended. A residence of thirty years at that place 
had necessarily created strong attachments, which 
rendei'ed my withdrawal painfully oppressive to my 
feelings. I had no reason to complain of my new 
acquaintances at Oswego. They were kind, and 
treated me with respect and attention. Soon after my 
removal there, we got up an agricultural society for 
that county, of which I was the first president, which 
I believe is still kept up, and is apparently doing much 
good. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLBY. 431 

The commercial bank which I had in charge was 
crippled greatly beyond what I had supposed, and 
,was much more embarrassed than its directors and 
stockholders were aware : in fact, it was " past praying 
for." It had to take large quantities of real estate, 
much of it encumbered ; and although the same pro- 
perty is now valuable, it could then hardly be so con- 
sidered, as the scarcity of money and depression of the 
times rendered such property nearly valueless. The 
directors exerted themselves to save it, but the effort 
was vain. Several other banks failed during the au- 
tumn of 1841, which gave a shock to the Commercial, 
then " on its last legs," and that finally went with the 
rest. 

The failure of the bank induced me to go to 
Columbus, Ohio, the next j'ear, where I had a large 
farm and other real estate, with mills, that required my 
personal attention. Accordingly I v/ent there with my 
family, in October 1842. 

It was with profound regret that I left Oswego, 
which I have regarded as one of the most pleasant 
residences in the state, particularly during the summer 
season. Its proximity to Lake Ontario, gives it almost 
uniformly the benefit of a cooling breeze each day. 
Then again, in the fall, the lake has such an effect 
on the temperature, that frosts which destro}'' the 
herbage in the interior are not experienced near the 
lake; while in the spring a humid chilliness is imparted 
to the air that checks vegetation, and thus the apple, 
peach, pear, and plum escape the effects of frosts that 
are often destructive, remote from its borders. The 
winters to be sure are long, with much wind and> 
raw weather, but the thermometer shows the cold 
several degrees more intense at Auburn, Syracuse, 



432 REMINISCENCES 

or Utica. I think Oswego and its vicinity, particularly 
along the lake shore, is as fine a portion of the state 
for fruit, especially the apple and grape, as can be 
found, scarcely excepting Rochester and its charming 
surrounding country. Its position is such, as to make 
it for Lake Ontario, what Buffalo is to Erie ; and its 
extensive business so rapidly increasing from year 
to year, indicates it, beyond a doubt, as a most impor- 
tant point, and one too where a large city is to grow up 
ultimately. Its fine water power, healthy climate, 
commodious harbor, added to its conceded command 
of a large portion of the Canadian, and even the 
trade of the Upper Lakes, cannot fail of producing 
such a result. 

The present population is not far from fourteen 
thousand, which from appearances must be augmented 
to double that number at no distant day. 

For those who wish to escape from the large cities 
during the heat of summer, I scarcely know a more 
pleasant retreat than may be found at Oswego, and on 
and about the shores of the beautiful inland sea that 
separates it from Canada. 

As before remarked, for a summer residence it can 
hardly be exceeded. Its broad streets enable pro- 
prietors, under city regulations, to take in a portion for 
ornamental purposes, so that each house has in front a , 
small flower garden. 

The importance of Oswego, as a frontier position, 
was discovered at an early day, where a military post 
was established by the English government. Nearly 
one hundred years ago, it was taken and destroyed by 
the French, under Montcalm ; and afterwards, a fort 
known as Fort Ontario, was built by the English 
and Provincials, which remained in possession of the 



' BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 433 

Brilish till 1795, when it was given up with other 
"Western posts, under " Jay's Treaty," and has re- 
cently been rebuilt, enlarged, and strengthened, where 
a small force is maintained. 

Its inhabitants are kind, enterprising, and social ; 
and scarcely any city in the state can boast of society 
more fashionable or refined. It has already nine 
churches, if not more, viz : two presbyterian, two epis- 
copalian, two catholic, two methodist, and one baptist. 

The school houses are new, large, and commodious, 
and do much credit to the city. 

In going to Ohio, I had no definite object beyond 
putting my property in a condition to sell, or perma- 
nently to retain, as after circumstances should seem 
most advisable. 

On reaching Columbus, I went on to repair and 
finish my mills, at expenses of course much beyond 
estimates. My fences were repaired and new ones 
built. Many acres of new land cleared up, and 
brought under cultivation, so that each year I was 
enabled to raise large crops of corn, but prices were 
exceedingly low. 

The autumn that I went there, and the succeeding 
winter, the cash price for corn was but ten cents per 
bushel, so that to pay the postage on a letter from New 
York, (then twenty-five cents,) would require two and 
a half bushels. Even at this low price, I have known 
farmers come twenty-five miles to market, when the 
roads were so tiad as to require three horses to haul 
twenty bushels, and then sleep in their covered market 
wagons through the night. 

My farm was extensive, but was soon put in good 
condition, on which a large new barn was erected, 
dn 1844. 

28 



REMINISCENCES 

• 'Daring the spring of the next year, a disastrous 
fire swept away my property, which was without 
insurance, and seemed to annihilate all chance for 
retrieving my affairs. In that year, (1845,) though 
an unfavorable season for corn, was raised on my lands 
about thirteen thousand bushels, of which my share 
was eisfht or nine thousand, about six thousand of which 
"was sold when harvested, at twenty cents per bushel, 
which was more than was realized from that part 
which was kept through the winter. 

Few farmers in the state of New York, I apprehend, 
can boast of ever raising so much corn in a year, 
as I raised in 1845. 

To be burned out, subjects a man to queer feelings, 
for it comes so suddenly, and works so hasty a change 
in his affairs, that he can scarcely realise it. 

Every reasonable effort was made to save my pro- 
perty from the destructive element, but all in vain. I 
shall always feel thankful to the citizens of Columbus 
and Franklinton, for their exertions, particularly the 
firemen from the city, who hurried to the conflagration, 
a mile out of their corporate boundaries. 

The loss was astounding, and many of my friends 
feared my feelings would be so overwhelmed as to 
discourage further efforts, but there was no use in 
despairing, so I returned home, took. my breakfast, and 
then went to church, where good old Parson Hoge 
gave us, as he always did, a-n excellent sermon. 

" Misfortunes seldom Come single." I had just 
before the fire, submitted. to an operation on my 
left eye, to remove a " terrigium," or wing that had 
formed, and was likely to extend over the pupil and 
^destroy its sight. 

Sitting in a chair and placing my head against the 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 43-5 

wall of the house, without being held or confined, 
I suffered Doctor Thompson to thrust in his crooked 
needle, and tear and clip off the part to be removed. 
The operation was sharp and painful, nearly as much 
so, I suppose, as removing a cataract from the eye ; 
but it was soon over. Next came the -fire, and next 
spring a broken arm or wrist, which kept me at 
Columbus, till some time in July, 1846, when I re- 
moved from there to Oswego; having sold my lands 
before removing. 

Here I may as well rem.ark, that could I have 
retained my Columbus property till the present time, 
the rapid growth of the city and consequent rise in the 
value of real estate in its vicinity, would have enabled 
me to pay off all incumbrances, and left me with a 
surplus of from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. 

Columbus, surrounded by a fine agricultural country, 
is beautifully situated on the eastern side of the Scioto 
river. The extensive bottom lands are distinguished 
for their richness and fertility, and are scarcely sur- 
passed by any within that, or any other state. 

The best part of the city is situated on ground 
considerably above the river; the streets are broad, 
and " high street" in particular is not only quite so, but 
remarkably well built up with substantial buildings. 
Its present population is about twenty thousand, which 
is rapidly augmenting every year, and being the capi- 
tal of that great state, with numerous railroads running 
into it, and manufacturing establishments already in 
operation, 1 can see no reason why it should not, 
within a few years, have a population of from forty to 
fifty thousand. Undoubtedly, it will be one of the 
largest inland cities in the country. There is much 
wealth and enterprise, aniong its citizens, and they 
.'LIo'j ^{IsniL 



436 REMINISCENCES 

now seem to appreciate the importance of rail-road 
communications ; though when I resided there, the 
feeling of some of its principal citizens was against 
improvements of that kind. The state has several 
public buildings in the city, large and commodious; 
among which, are the state prison or penitentiary, an 
asylum for the blind, an institution for the deaf and 
dumb, and a lunatic asylum. A state house is now 
being constructed, which will probably be the largest 
and most costly building of the kind within the United 
States. A medical college has been endowed, and is 
now in the progress of erection. They have many 
churches and schools, and the society in the city is 
choice and good as can be found elsewhere. About 
one-third of the population of the city is made up of 
Germans, who are industrious, economical, and thrifty, 
and as a class are excellent citizens. 

The soil of Ohio is such, that except where they 
had McAdamised or graveled roads, the traveling 
used to be horrible. I frequently had to ride from 
Columbus to Cleveland, and to Toledo, over those 
rough and muddy roads, and in stage wagons but 
little better than " murder carts." Railroads have now 
been introduced, so that it is little or no fatigue to go 
there ; but formerly, the best way to go through the 
country was on horseback, and in this way I offen 
made my journeys. It was necessary for me to be 
on horseback every day when I was at home, to visit 
the different parts of my farm ; so that to thus ride 
was not only pleasant, but conducive to health. I 
used to ford the Scioto and Olentange rivers at every 
season of the year, and twice found myself in deep 
Water, so that my horse had to carry me out by swim- 
ming. One of these times was in December, when 
the weather was exceedingly cold. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 437 

Columbus was a pleasant residence, and on coming 
away I left it with many kind recollections ; for I had 
friends there highly esteemed, whom I hope to see 
again at no distant day. On leaving that place I came 
to the city of New York, and opened a law office in 
August 1846, and next year was nominated as one of 
the justices of the supreme court, under the new con- 
stitution, but like others on the same ticket, failed of 
an election. 

New York, like all populous cities, must always 
have something to excite the multitude. A *' nine 
days' wonder" is hailed with avidity ; and then the 
subject of excitement wears off, or becomes stale, till 
something else absorbs popular attention. 

When Jenny Lind came the whole city was agog 
to see as well as to hear her. The streets in front of 
her hotel were crowded day and night, that the gazers 
and loiterers might by chance catch a glimpse of the 
distinguished stranger. Her reception was in the 
highest degree flattering; and what was more, there 
seemed to be, and no doubt was, a sincerity — a kind, 
enthusiastic, heart-felt, friendly feeling towards her, 
which scarcely any foreigner, with the exception of 
La Fayette has ever enjo3'-ed. La Fayette, for his 
revolutionary services, his sacrifices in blood and trea- 
sure to secure our independence, his devotion to liberal 
principles in Europe, and his uniform attachment, 
during a long and eventful life, to t*he interests and. 
institutions of our country, acquired and deservedly 
retained a hold on the American heart, immeasurably 
beyond any one who ever came from a foreign land. 

The love and respect of our countryman for him, 
was the result of a nation's gratitude to a distinguished, 
benefactor, creditable to ourselves and justly due to 



438 REMINISCENCES 

him. Hence, every American not lost to the ennobling 
principles of our nature, felt himself a debtor to the 
brave, the generous La Fayette ; and rejoiced at an 
opportunity to pay respect to the man who had periled 
his hfe and fortune in our cause ; and by pecuniary 
advances to remunerate those services, and in a mea- 
sure restore the fortune which he had so generously 
sacrificed. The devotion to him was the result of a 
far different feeling from that manifested towards the 
distinguished Scandinavian songstress. She came among 
us with a most enviable reputation, established oh 
ennobling and virtuous principles, well known here 
before her arrival among us. Sprung from the humble 
walks of life, of obscure parentage, and dependant on 
her own exertions for success, she has after attaining 
an unrivalled eminence in her profession, had the good 
sense to wear her honors meekly, which of itself is a 
triumph to which few females similarly situated would 
be likely to attain. There is a kindness, a generosity, 
a goodness of heart in her nature, that places her far 
above the position of almost any one who follows 
similar pursuits. 

It is true our people are excitable, and enthusiastic 
in their admiration of distinguished performers from 
abroad; but making due allowances for this, and for 
the artificial excitement created by newspaper para- 
graphs, the effect of which no man can better calculate 
than Mr. Barnutn, there are elements in Jenny Lind's 
life and character that will always commend her, not 
only to the admiration of our countrymen, but to their 
warmest affections. Her whole cast of mind is closely 
assimilated to the broad principles on which our 
national institutions are founded. Were she an Ameri- 
can citizen, as I hope she will be, she would make an 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 4rS9t 

excellent republican. Her feelings are with the masses, 
and her sympathies prompt her to deeds of charity, 
calculated to improve and elevate their mental con- 
dition. 

A woman with these views, connected with a 
benevolence of feeling continually prompting her to 
relieve the suffering, and improve the condition of her 
fellow-beings, can never fail of being a decided fa- 
vorite with our people. She would be so, without 
those musical qualities for which she is distinguished 
far above any competitor. The annoyances to which 
she is said to have been subjected, by the reception of 
numerous letters aiking charity, are disgraceful in the 
extreme ; and I fear will be calculated to induce a low 
estimate of our countrymen. 

Is self-respect entirely obliterated ? It is bad 
enough for those connected with charitable or other 
institutions, to intimate a desire to be recipients of her 
bounty ; but for individuals to become mendicants and 
alms-seekers, to the extent represented, is shameful to 
them and disreputable to the country. 

I hope she will have good sense enough to make 
ample provision for herself, her family, and friends, so as 
to secure a liberal competency through life, beyond all 
contingencies ; and then, if she csn carry out her free 
school project for her countrymen, she will establish a 
reputation more desirable, and should be more hon- 
ored and enduring, than all the conquerors who have 
graced and embellished the annals of the world. 

Scarcely had the sweet strains of the enchantress 
died upon our ears, and the excitement subsided which 
her appearance among us had created, when the illus- 
trious Magyar chieftain became the engrossing object 
of the public mind. Every one must see and hear 



440 REMINISCENCES 

Kossuth, whose advent was hailed and regarded as 
the great epoch of the day. The mind of this great 
city, and I may say of the whole country, has seemed 
to be absorbed and intensely excited ; so that it would 
really appear that we could not exist without an ex- 
citement of some kind. 

That he is an orator of a high order of talents, no 
one who has heard or read his speeches can doubt; 
but intense and eno-rossinsr as the feelino- was on his 

o o o 

arrival, and as it remained for many days, it is now 
evidently wearing off in the city, and we are waiting 
for some other interesting event to take its place. 

There is unquestionably a deep feeling of sympathy 
among our citizens in every part of the repulslic, for 
the Hungarian cause ; but I cannot comprehend the 
earnest appeals for aid, unless it is certain that another 
struggle is to be made for the independence of that 
nation. To talk about that struggle, or of " non-inter- 
vention," while the people of that country are quiescent, 
and while they are held in servitude by foreign bayo- 
nets, which they have no adequate power to resist, 
even if they have the will, is the very romance of 
knight errantry. 

With a fair prospect of success, I should rejoice to 
see Hungary again in arms against her oppressors ; 
and that time will probably come at some future day, 
should the German people make common cause, in 
favor of popular rights: but the affairs of Europe, even 
of France, I regret to believe, do not at present indicate 
such an event, or that it could be successful, if under- 
taken. 

A better and more favorable day I hope maj'- soon 
dawn, when the tyrants who have so long governed 
and oppressed the European people, may be brought 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. ^I 

into JQilgment ; and that the masses, now regarded as 
jittle above serfs, may acquire those natural rights to 
which they are entitled, while each nation is left to 
regulate its own affairs, independent of foreign inter- 
position or aggression. When that time arrives, " in- 
tervention" and "aid" may have a meaning; and 
patriotism may be invoked for objects that now appear 
impracticable, if not visionary. 



442 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Visii Cherry Valley, October, 1850. — Splendid View from 
its high Hills. — Picture§c[iie ajrpearance of Forest Sce- 
nery. — Flight of Birds to the South. — Visit Coo^erstown 
and Susquehanna Valley. — The late George Clarke, 
and Incidents. — Visit Oswego. — Death of Christian J. 
Brnxlde. 
It is now November, 18-50, and I have just returned 
from Oswego, where, after more than eight months' 
absence, I have been on a short visit. More than forty 
years ago I was spending my first autumn in Cherry 
Valley, v^here I now stopped a few days on my way 
to Oswego. My excursion there was in October, 
before the forest trees had cast off their foliage, but 
after they had lost the freshness and deep green of 
summer. 

Those high blue hills, dividing the waters of the 
Mohawk from the Susquehanna, which appear so for- 
midable and forbidding as you rise from the immediate 
bed of the former river, are admirably calculated to 
show off the beauties of forest scenery, constituted as 
they are of lofty hills and picturesque vallies. 

I know of no position in the state, except from the 
summit of Catskill mountain, where so fine and exten- 
sive a view can be obtained, as from the top of the 
hill above the turnpike gate, two miles east of Cherry 
Valley. From that lofty eminence, with a small teles- 
cope I have counted the windows in Johnstowui court- 
house, nearly thirty miles distant. You look down 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 443 

upon Bowman's Creek Valley as upon a map, and 
trace it till it loses itself in the valley of the Mohawk. 
The eye can follow the course of that river from Little 
Falls to Schenectacl}^ ; while the high ridge of forest land 
that divides its waters from those of the St. Lawrence, 
alone interrupts the vision to the noith. The elevated 
lands in Rensselaer and Washington counties, and 
western Blassachusets, may plainly be traced while 
away off in the north-east ; the Green Mountains may 
be seen stretching far to the north, in solitary grandeur, 
and skirting the eastern boundary of Lake Champlain. 

Those who appreciate the beauties of mountain 
scenery, will find themselves amply paid for their 
trouble, if they will, on a clear summer or autumnal 
day, take a survey fi-om that giddy height. It is 
several years since I visited Cherry Valley at that 
particular season of the year. All the way, the hills 
and vallies presented the gay yet melancholy aspect 
of autum.n : gay^ because the shrubbery and trees were 
yet clothed with their summer dress ; but it had as- 
sumed all the tawdry colors of the season, from the 
faded green to the pale and dark lemon ; the beech 
leaf, with its modest brown yellow; the sumach, from 
its native green, through every variety of shade up to 
the deep scarlet ; and then the sugar and water maple, 
green, yellow, purple, and red, beautifully commingled. 

The village of Cherry Valley, skirted by hills, 
abounds with maple and other trees, which have so 
far grown, that it has the appearance of a village in a 
juvenile forest. Birds, particularly robin redbreast, 
resort there in great numbers ; and at the time I was 
there, they were gathering for their annual flight to the 
south. I have no doubt that more than one hundred 
erf them fed daily on the red berries of the mountain 



444 REMINISCENCES 

ash, of which tree great numbers were luxuriantly 
growing, on the beautiful homestead of my late friend 
Judge Morse. The little pilferers seemed to regard 
those trees as planted, and the . fruit preserved, for 
their express accomodation. No matter ; it is all right ; 
let them enjoy the fruits of the season. The poor things 
want something to cheer and support them for their 
long journey. This brings to my remembrance an 
incident at Columbus, Ohio. While I resided there, 
the winter of 1S44 was very mild, and the blackbirds 
came back a month earlier than usual. The red- 
headed woodpecker was also there, whistling and 
tapping the hollow trees. I had two thousand bushels 
of corn in a building, with the windows all open, to 
promote the free circulation of air. The weather 
changed suddenly and became cold, which induced 
hundreds of blackbirds, accompanied by wood-peckers, 
to resort to my corn for daily food. My hired men 
proposed to close the windows, and exclude them, 
which I forbade, as I was quite sure their depredations 
would cease with the return of warm weather. The 
blackbirds did not treat me well; for on planting my 
corn in the spring, the ungrateful rascals seemed to 
take special delight in pulling it up, so that I had to 
shoot many of the black-coated gentry, to make them 
" a terror to evil doers." 

But to return from this, digression. After a brief 
visit at Cherry Valley I went on to Cooperstown, and 
thence down the Susquehanna to Milford. Coopers- 
town, beautiful and romantic as ever, remains with 
but little apparent increase, at the foot of the splendid 
lake so much admired by all who visit it ; while 
*« Mount Vision" at the east, rises with solemn gran- 
deur to obstruct the early rays of the morning sun. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 446 

Here a division of General Sullivan's army, under 
Gen. Clinton, concentrated, and by damming, and thus 
raising the water of the lake, were enabled to float 
down the^river in batteaux, on its augmented waters, 
as they went on, to chastise the savages during the 
revolutionary war. 

This delightful village, which is the county seat of 
the large, intelligent, agricultural county of Otsego, 
has been brought into general notice among the reading 
community, as the residence of James F. Cooper, esq. 
the novelist, whose " Pioneers" has faithfully delineated 
many of its localities, and chronicled the early inci- 
dents connected with its settlement and growth. Several 
distinguished citizens of the state have been, and still 
are among its inhabitants, whose beautiful picturesque 
mansions adorn and add to the interest of its natural 
attractions. 

Looking up to the north over the blue expanse of 
waters may be seen a high head-land jutting out into the 
lake, where stands Hyde Hall, the splendid and costly 
residence of the late George Clark, now owned and 
occupied by his son. Mr. Clark, the elder, was an En- 
glishman by birth, and came to this country a few years 
after the revolution. He was a descendant in the direct 
line from Lieutenant Governor Clark, a former provin- 
cial governor of New York, from whom the late George 
Clark (who I beheve was his grandson) derived a large 
landed estate in Otsego- county, as well as other portions 
of the state, and in other states also. George Clark 
encountered, at an early day, much opposition from his 
tenantry. The tenure by which they held their lands 
was not in accordance with the views of our citizens 
generally. These large estates were leased out, some 
on durable leases, at a small rent, and others for 



446 REMINISCENCES 

three lives or twenty-one years. I have a lease drawn 
out on a monstrous scroll of parchment, executed by his 
ancestor, and. acknowledged before Sir William John- 
son, now nearly one hundred years old, un^Jer which, 
as assignee, I used to own and occupy one of his flirms 
in Cherry Valley. For many years I was tenant under 
Mr. Clark for this and other farms, and always found 
him kind and gentlemanly,' so that I wanted no better 
landlord. He, of course, w^anted his rents and what 
legally was due to him ; and in exacting these his un- 
doubted rights, he no doubt offended many of bis tenants, 
•who wanted a little more than their own. It was a 
tenure that I have often told him would give him 
trouble ; for in my judgment, it was calculated to 
invite aggressions on his rights, and its tendencies 
were adverse to the rapid growth and improvement of 
the country, as w^ith us, each one wanted to be sole 
owner and master of what he possessed. 

I have no doubt that leasing real estate in agricultu- 
ral districts is a most pernicious system, and so 
I used to argue with him. Had he lived till the present 
time, he would have probably found in the anti-rent 
demonstrations, good cause to change his views, so far 
at least as the profits of leasing are concerned. 

I am told that his son is inclined to pursue a different 
course, and by selling out the fee of his extensive do- 
mains, will relieve himself from much trouble ; and I 
hope, will realize in the interest of his money, a better 
return than from the rents exacted under the old leases. 

To do justice to his father's memory, I wish to 
state as the result of my honest and unbiassed judg- 
ment, that had tenants treated him with respect and 
kindness, and paid him the rents honestly due to him, 
they would have had no good right to complain ; but ihev 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 447 

disliked the relation of landlord and tenant, and hence 
he was frequently annoyed with insolent demands, 
which his high English notions o^ strict right would not 
allow him to concede. He could be as obstinate as 
ihey, and hence collisions. Otsego county certainly 
should not complain of Mr. Clark, for he not only ex- 
pended his rents derived from that count}'', but a far 
larger amount, in the erection of those elegant buildings 
that adorn his estate ; and Avhich are, undoubtedly, the 
most expensive structures in the county, and probably, 
the best private establishment west of Albany. 

He was a man of extensive reading, v/ell informed, 
social in his feelings, hospitable to those with whom he 
was on intimate terms; and I beheve a strictly honest 
man. His prejudices were strong, and if he believed 
any one intended to wrong him, he was stubborn in 
resisting any invasions of his rights ; but with kind 
treatment, on the other.side, Mr. Clark, so far as I knew 
him, could be relied upon for a corresponding return of 
kind feelings. I have been the recipient of his hospi- 
tality, though not of his patronage — and have a right to 
speak of him, as T believe him to have been— an honest, 
intelligent, worthy man. That he was social and com- 
panionable, I Jcnoio, for he gave good dinners, conversed 
well, told a good story, delighted in a good one from 
others, and when in merry mood, would sing a good 
song, but generall}'' one that he had brought with him 
from "merrieold England." In short he was an En- 
glish gentleman in his habits and feelings. I hope it 
will not be regarded as invading the sanctity of domes- 
tic relations, if I allude to some of the incidents con- 
nected with that baronial establishment. 

Mr. Clark in his feelings, was thoroughly English. 
I?e dehghted to have his dinner got up in old English 



44:^ REMINISCENCES 

Style, with the best of roast beef and mutton, garnished 
with such delicacies as the lake and country afforded, 
and just such as his countrymen, who knew how to 
appreciate good things, -would order, were they the 
caterers, and in these particulars he hardly ever failed 
to excel. Not only were his household arrangements 
in this style but he was English in his religious views ; 
unless those matters were in accordance with good old 
mother church, they were not acceptable. I was invited 
nearly, if not quite, thirty years ago, to attend the 
christening of his son, the present owner of that princely 
establishment. Good old Father Nash, with several 
other episcopal clergymen were in attendance, and in 
the end received, it was said, liberal presents. The 
late John Van Der Speigle Scott, of Catskill, was one of 
the sponsors ; I do not recollect the other, but there were 
two. Several were there from Utica, a large number 
from CooperstoVk'^n and the surrounding country. The 
christening was performed with suitable solemnity and 
gravity, and in due time the dinner was announced, 
which was in that substantial, excellent style, that just 
such a man as Mr. Clark would be likely to order on 
such an occasion. I never knew him more talkative and 
pleasant, nor could his guests feel otherwise than good- 
natured and satisfied with him, as well as themselves. 
In due time the ladies and clergy retired; and then 
his guests were effectually plied with creature comforts. 
There was nothing he seemed to delight in more than 
to sit and enjoy rational conversation ; to discuss liter- 
ary and other questions ; to tell stories and hear good 
songs, and in the end, get his guests, or a portion of 
them, " under the table." On this occasion, after par- 
taking of his good things and good cheer, on leaving the 
table in the early part of the evening, they repaired 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 449 

to the plateau in front of the house, where some of 
them ran foot races in the dark, but with no great 
credit to themselves as pedestrians. 

As they were going back into the house, one of his 
guests, who sometimes indulged too freely, mis-stay'd 
and fell into the hall, obstructing, as he lay, the closing 
of the outer door. One of the servants came to Mr. 
Clark, and asked him what he should do with the 
" large gentleman," who had fallen in the doorway, and 
was not able to get up ? The answer was " drag him 
in and put him under the table," — which was forthwith 
complied with, where he remained till morning. Those 
were gay, frolicsome times, and though they may now 
appear to have been rude, and perhaps wanting in grav- 
ity ; yet, I very much doubt whether thirty years have 
made any great improvement in the substantial qualities 
of a feast, or the enjoyment of it after it was prepared. 
It is very much the same still. 

The remains of the founder of Hyde Hall rest near 
the mansion ; where his son, in the enjoyment of an 
ample patrimony, maintains the reputation of a worthy 
honest man, and a gentleman of decided worth and 
popularity. 

In 1834, I had the honor of an invitation from Mr. 
Clark to attend the wedding of his daughter. Delicacy 
forbids saying much about a wedding party, because 
ladies are more or less mixed up in such an affair ; but 
I may be permitted to remark that the company was 
not only large but highly respectable. His tenantry 
had been invited to come there in the afternoon, and 
came in great numbers to enjoy his good cheer ; and 
then returned home before the wedding feast, which 
did not take place until evening ; but was then ample, 
and befitting a rich princely establishment like his. I 
29 



4-50 REMINISCENCES 

shall not very soon forget that evening, for to impress- 
more forcibly its recollection, my driver, who was an,- 
Englishman, managed to overcharge himself with stimu- 
lants, and in the dark, upset the carriage, nearly break- 
ins: both our necks, as we went into the ditch. 

It is time to return from this digression, and pass 
down the river, from Cooperstown to Milford. I thought 
the lofty hills on each side never appeared so beautiful. 
All the varieties that constitute the beauties of an 
American forest in autumn were before me in their 
most attractive form ; and when I looked on " old 
Crum Horn" mountain, as it rose between, and divided 
the Susquehanna from the "classic waters of Schene- 
vas," as my friend Alvan Stewart used to call them, 
I thought a landscape view could not be presented 
more appropriate, for the painter who delights to 
adorn his canvas with the beauties of nature. 

There is an indescribable beauty and richness in 
the American forest, as viewed through the medium 
of an autumnal atmosphere and Indian summer's sun- 
shine. There is a sober melancholy, which is heightened 
by the reflection that a few weeks will scatter the rich 
drapery, and make those gaudy appendages the sport 
of winter's chilling blasts. To render our forests most 
attractive in autumn, the dark rich green of the hem- 
lock, fir, and pine, are indispensable. These ever- 
greens form such a beautiful contrast with the varied 
hues of other foliage, interspersed with them, that no 
one, unless perfectly insensible to the charms that 
nature spreads abroad, can fail to admire them. 

My visit at Oswego was painfully unpleasant. 
My old friend, Christian J. Burckle, who had been 
sick for several weeks, was evidently near his end, 
and soon paid the great debt. I had known Mr. Bur- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. f5^ 

clde sixteen or seventeen years ; and our associations 
were of that intimate kind, that I am sure I knew him 
well. He was an excellent man, of varied and exten- 
sive information, ardent and sincere in his attachments, a 
kind parent and devoted friend. His death so shocked 
my feelings, that it nearly destroyed the pleasure of 
my visit ; and when I came back from Oswego, and 
again stopped a day at Cherry Valley, my short visit 
there seemed as gloomy as if attending a funeral. 



452 REMINISCENCES 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Tombstone Records. — Recollections of Individuals. — Anecdotes 
and Incidents. — Notice of Col. Campbell and Family. — 
Col. Clyde and his Family. — Archibald McKillip. — 
Hugh Mitchell — Wells Family — Col. Alden. — Notice of 
Col. Willett.-:^ Joseph Brandt and the Butlers. — Captain 
Clark. — A Monument tvanting. 

The melancholy state of mind under which I was 
laboring, on coming back to Cherry Valley from Os- 
wego, as mentioned at the close of the last chapter, 
was not inappropriate to the occasion. The season of 
the year [then November) was of itself calculated to 
induce reflection, and to impress the mind with solemn 
recollections ; but in addition to this, the death of so 
many of my old neighbors and associates, always 
renders my thoughts of a sombre cast whenever I go 
there, though there is a melancholy pleasure inter- 
mingled, such as we feel on visiting a cemetery, and 
reading the names of departed friends. 

At that time I strayed through the grave-yard, as 
I always do; and as there is much to interest the 
contemplative mind, particularly those who are familiar 
with, or delight in hearing individual incidents, I invite 
my reader to go with me, in imagination, through that 
receptacle of the dead. It is quite probable, that on 
looking at the names, we may call up recollections of 
some that will not be devoid of interest. Here you will 
find some of those who, as pioneers, first led the way 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 453 

fnto this romantic and then far-off valley ; and of tiieir 
descendants, who perilled their lives in the struggle 
for independence. Any one looking through that 
burying-ground, will be forcibly struck with the large 
proportion of elderly people who rest there, and whose 
memory is perpetuated by inscriptions on the grave- 
stones. The first impression would be, that the place 
is remarkably healthy, as it undoubtedly is. Let me 
name over some of them, and throw in some hasty 
recollections and incidents. 

James Campbell died 1770, aged eighty years. 
Sarah Simpson, his wife, died 1773, aged seventy-nine 
years. This James Campbell, I suppose, was the 
first of the Campbell family who came there among 
the early settlers, not far from 1740, and was the 
father of Col. Samuel Campbell, who died 1824, aged 
eighty-six years ; and great grandfather of Hon. Wil- 
liam W. Campbell, of the city of New York, author 
of the " Annals of Tryon County," and now judge of 
the superior court. Jane Cannon, wife of Col. Samuel 
Campbell, died 1836, aged ninety-two years. 

Col. Campbell was an active, patriotic whig, of the 
revolution. I think he was in the ill-fated expedition 
against Crown Point, during the old French war, where 
Abercrombie Avas repulsed and defeated, and Lord 
Howe killed. At the Oriskany battle, in 1777, he was 
in the thickest of the fight ; and after General Herki- 
mer was wounded and Col. Cott killed, Col. Campbell 
succeeded to the command, and after maintaining the 
contest with obstinate bravery, brought off that portion 
of the survivors who had stood their ground, manfully, 
instead of running away as some did, on being sur- 
prised. He had several bullet holes through his 
clothes, one ball cutting away the string by which his 



^4^ REMINISCENCES 

pojvder horn was suspended. In 1778, when Cherry- 
Valley was surprised, and the settlement broken up 
by tories and Indians, his buildings were burned, his 
wife, with two or three children, made captives, and 
carried off to Niagara, thence to Canada, and down to 
Montreal, where, after an absence of two years, they 
were exchanged for the family of Col. John Butler. 
Col. Campbell, who was on his farm some distance 
from the house, escaped. When he learned that the 
savages had made their onset, his first impulse was to 
reach his house and to defend it and his family to the 
last extremity ; but on coming in sight he saw it on 
fire, and surrounded by Indians. He could not save 
his family, though by flying to the woods he was 
enabled to escape himself. 

Mrs. Campbell travelled on foot, and the greater 
part of the way carried her infant child. The Indians 
had intimated an intention to kill it, that it might no 
longer be an incumbrance to the party, or hindrance on 
their long journey. She begged them to spare the 
child and she would take the sole charge of it, severe 
as the task was, to carry an infant and keep up with 
the retreating party. 

At, or soon after the close of the war, Col. Campbell 
rebuilt his house, and when Gen. Washington, Gov. 
George Clinton and others visited the western part of the 
state, they stopped with him over night. He was an 
old fashioned republican of the Jeffersonian school, 
and always a decided friend and admirer of Gov. 
George Clinton, as he was afterwards of Gov. De Witt 
Clinton, his nephew. Col. Campbell represented the 
county of Otsego as one of its members of assembly, 
not far from the commencement of the present century. 

During the war of 1812, he was decided in his ap- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 455 

proval of its declaration, and was for sustaining vigor- 
ous measures for its prosecution. It seemed to rouse 
up his spirit and to awaken early prejudices against 
the mother country, for revolutionary atrocities. 

His eldest son, Doctor Wm. Campbell, is buried 
near his father. He was an excellent man, remarkably 
well informed ; represented the county in the assembly 
for several sessions, and in 1835 was made surveyor 
general, the duties of which office he discharged with 
fidelity and skill. In 1844 he departed this life at the 
advanced age of seventy-six years, his wife Mrs. Sabrina 
Campbell, a lady of much worth, having died at the age 
of fifty-four years, in 1830. 

Eleanor, wife of Samuel Dickson and daughter of 
Col. Campbell, died 1844, aged seventy-four years. 
Samuel Dickson her husband, died 1822, aged fifty- 
seven years, who, previous to his death, erected a stone 
at the grave of his mother, with this inscription : " In 
memory of Elizabeth Dickson, wife of Wm. Dickson, 
who was barbarously murdered by the savages, 11th 
November, 1778, aged forty-eight years." 

Matthew Campbell, another son of Col. Campbell, 
aged about seventy years, and his wife about the same 
age, are also buried there. I might say much more in 
reference to the Campbell family, and of their captivity 
and sufferings during the revolutionary war, but it has 
been better told and on more authentic information than 
lean pretend to, by Hon. Wm. W. Campbell in his 
" Annals of Tryon County," and to that interesting work 
the reader is referred. 

Gen. Elijah Holt, then of Buffalo, died in 1826, 
aged sixty-four years, and is buried in Cherry Valley, 
as is his brother, Major Lester Holt, who at seventy-five 
years, died there. Ephraim Hudson, died 1801, aged 



456 REMINISCENCES 

eighty-eight. Ephraim his son, 1805, aged forty-eight. 
Jesse Johnson, aged eighty-seven. Isaac Seelye, esq., 
1833, aged fifty-four years. Wm. Cook, died 1829, 
aged eighty-one years. His wife Candace, 1835, aged 
sixty-nine. 

This William Cook was an Englishman by birth; 
an old seaman, and was the " Ben Pump" of Cooper's 
" Pioneers." Patrick Davison, one of the early settlers, 
died in 1813, aged seventy-nine years. His wife Mary, 
in 1830, aged ninety-four. Archibald McKeUip, died 
1847, aged more than ninety. His wife Mary, died 
1843, aged eighty-two years. Archibald McKellip was 
a whig in the revolution, served seven years in the 
army ; was at the storming of Quebec when Mont- 
gomery fell, and was an honest, worthy, industrious 
man, and good citizen. James Thompson also a 
revolutionary soldier, died 1821, aged sixty years. 
James Cannon another revolutionary whig, brother to 
Mrs. Campbell the wife of Col. Campbell, died 1829, 
aged seventy-eight years. His wife, of nearly the 
same age rests by him. Col. Libbeus Loomis, a revo- 
lutionary officer and member of the Cincinnati Society, 
died 1836, aged seventy-nine years. His sister, Mrs. 
Little, wife of Dr. David Little, died 1846, aged seventy- 
seven. Dr. Little, her husband, 1832, aged sixty-five 
years. Dr. Delos White, 1835, aged forty-six. Major 
John Walton, 1812, aged forty-nine years. William 
Peeso, revolutionary soldier, 1831, aged seventy-three 
years. His wife Lydia, 1846, aged eighty-two. Eliza- 
beth, widow of the late Reverend Aaron Putnam, of 
Pom fret, Connecticut, died 1835, aged ninety. Hugh 
Mitchell, an old man, and respectable ; whom I used 
to know, lies there without a stone to mark his 
resting-place. He was very near a hundred years old 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 457 

when he died ; and was buried near the south-side of 
the yard by the remains of his first wife and six child- 
ren, who were butchered by the savages in 1778. He 
barely escaped by fleeing to the adjacent woods, where 
he concealed himself till the enemy were gone, when he 
returned, placed his murdered family on an ox sled, 
and drove them to the fort, where they were buried, 
and the old man by request, was placed beside them, 
when he died. Another very old man of m}' former 
acquaintance, lies there, who died in 1814, at an ex- 
ceedingly advanced age. He was known as " Old 
Jackey Foster," was at Cherry Valley long before 
the revolution, came there from Scotland or the North 
of Ireland ; was as he said in the battle of Culloden in 
1746, and used to sing anti-jacobite songs. 

One of his cauplets was something like the follow- 
ing : 

" And buttocks bare, were turned up there, 
Of many a brawny Highland mon." 

Foster was a man of coarse, low wit, and used to 
crack his jokes, and play off his tricks with an almost 
unlimited license. At the early organization of the 
county, there was considerable strife between Cherry 
Valley and Cooperstown, in relation to public build- 
ings. 

The former was settled fifty years before the latter, 
and had been destroyed during the revolutionary 
struggle, and hence felt entitled to public favor. 

It is said, that Judge Cooper, on one occasion, play- 
fully remarked, that the court house should be placed 
in Cooperstown, the jail in New Town INIartin (Middle- 
field,) and the gallows in Cherry Valley. Dr. Joseph 
White, afterwards first judge, and Luther Rich, esq., 
were leading men in Cherry Valley ; and Foster who 



458 REMINISCENCES 

was always poor, and inclined to his drink, had not 
much credit with these or others of his neighbors. He 
frequently wanted to borrow. small sums of money, and 
would go to Judge Cooper, always taking care to con- 
ciliate his feelings as Foster supposed, by roundly abus- 
ing Messrs. White and Rich, and other men of influ- 
ence at home. Judge Cooper who understood the ob- 
ject, would listen to Foster's various devices to obtain 
money, and sometimes obliged him by small loans, 
though none the more for the abuse of his neighbors. 
On one occasion he had been sworn as a witness, when, 
on coming out of court the judge asked him whether 
he had sworn to the truth ? Foster laid his hand on 
his breast, and raising his eyes, said, with much appa- 
rent solemnity, 

" I have Judge, as I am a Christiari mon.^^ 

" But did you tell the whole truth,'''' says the judge ? 

" Yes, yer Honor" (with a significant wink of his 
eye,) " and a d d sight more." 

Col. Alden, who was in command, when Cherry 
Valley was destroyed, and was killed outside of the 
fort, has a plain slab to mark his grave ; with this in- 
scription : 

" In memory of the brave Col. Ichabod Alden, a na- 
tive of Danbury, Massachusetts, who was murdered 
by the savages in this place, on the memorable 11th 
day of November, 1778, in the thirty-second year of 
his age." His remains are by the side of Col. and 
Mrs. Clyde. When her grave was dug in 1825, being 
crowded upon that of Col. Alden, his remains became 
visible. I saw and examined his skull, which was 
sound as when first buried. The tomahawk with 
which he was struck, after being shot, had not cut 
through the skull to the brain, but seemed to have 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEV 459 

glanced off, chipping away a portion of the skull. The 
cavity was discolored with blood, and several lines or, 
marks, where the tomahawk had entered were red 
and bright. Alvan Stewart took one of the loosened 
teeth. 

Col. Samuel Clyde of whom I have just spoken was 
born in Windham, Rockingham county. New Hamp- 
shire, April 11th, 1732, and died in Cherry Valley, 
November SOth, 1790. He was an ardent devoted 
whig during the revolutionary struggle, and all agree 
that he was a man of indomitable resolution, and true 
courage. During the French war he held a commis- 
sion as captain, which commission is now almost one 
hundred years old, and is in the hands of his youngest 
son, Col. Joseph Clyde. He was in the expedition 
against Ticonderoga during that war, and was engaged 
in that sanguinary contest. He was also at the taking 
of Frontenac under Col. Bradstreet. On the breakina; 
out of the revolution he took an active part against the 
mother country ; was a member of assembl}'- in the 
first legislature under the state constitution of 1778, 
having been elected from what was then Tryon ; and 
subsequently Montgomery county, of which latter 
county he was the first sheriff after its organization. 
He came to Cherry Valley, then a portion of Tryon 
county, seventeen or eighteen years before the revolu- 
tion, and resided on the farm now owned by some of 
^ his grand children near the village. Neither he or Mrs. 
Clyde, his wife, had any relative there except their 
children. 

He was engaged in the Oriscany battle in 1777, 
where he was knocked down by a blow from a British 
musket, but was rescued by a man named John Flock, 
who shot the man who had given the blow. The next 



460 REMINISCENCES 

year 1778, he was appointed Col. of the Canajoharie 
regiment, which he commanded till the war closed. 

With this regiment or a portion of it, he was en- 
gaged in the Palatine battle, when his men took a field 
piece from Sir John Johnson ; and Col. Clyde took a 
musket from the enemy, now owned by his grandson, 
Hon. George C. Clyde. At the interview with Brandt, at 
Unadilla, Col. Clyde was present with Gen. Herkimer, 
whose confidence he enjoyed during the life of the 
generaL 

After Col. Clyde was commissioned as such, and 
after the destruction of Cherry Valley, a small fort 
was constructed at Freysbush, in the present town of 
Canajoharie, which was named after him " Fort 
Clyde." 

There was in the British service, an active, bold, 
and desperate partizan oflEicer, who, I believe, was a 
tory, named Joseph Bettis, or some such name, who 
was hung at Albany as a spy, before the war closed. 

This Bettis had offered a reward of $100 to any one 
who would deliver Col. Clyde into his hands. The 
Col., of course, was on his guard, and was always 
armed when he went from home. Bettis told Archibald 
McKellip, who I have already mentioned, that on a 
certain occasion he was in the woods, when he saw 
Col. Clyde who was armed with a gun within eight or 
ten rods of him. Clyde was not aware that he was in 
the presence of his dangerous adversary ; and Bettis 
drew up his gun by the side of a tree to shoot him. He 
told McKellip, that on taking aim at him he felt an im- 
pression that he was about to shoot a brave man, who, 
if not killed, would be very likely to fight desperately 
and to kill him before the contest was over ; and on re- 
flecting on it he dare not shoot, and thus assassinate 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 461 

even an adversary. Col. Clyde was the first justice of 
the peace in Cherry Valley, after the revolution. Dur- 
ing the war and even after its close, he was very much 
devoted to the public service, to the neglect of his own 
affairs ; for he went to New York in 1784, and on state 
security, raised money to pay arrearages, due the 
officers and soldiers of his regiment, 

His wife, Mrs. Catharine Wasson Clyde, was born 
in Worcester, Mass., April 5, 1737, and at an early age 
came with her father to the present town of Amsterdam, 
near the residence of Sir William Johnson. 

She was intimately acquainted with the celebrated 
Indian chief, Brandt, who, when a boy, frequently 
came to her father's house to play with her brothers. 

Up to the time of her death, which was in 1825, at 
the age of eighty-seven ; she always expressed a con- 
fident belief that if she could have seen Brandt before 
the massacre at Cherry Valley, she could have prevailed 
on him to have saved the inhabitants. She was a niece 
of Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Decla- 
ration of Independence ; a courageous woman.; well 
informed ; recollected all the events of the revolution, 
particularly all the incidents relating to the destruction 
of Cherry Valley. On that disastrous occasion, when 
she found the settlement was attacked, she left her 
house, and finding all communication with the fort cut 
off, she with part of her family concealed themselves in 
a thicket where they remained through the night ofNov. 
11th, 1778. It was cold and stormy, and considerable 
snow fell. 

The darkness was enlivened with the light of burn- 
ing buildings in every part of the settlement; and in the 
course of that long and dreary night she heard Indians 
pass and repass several times but a short distance fiom 



462 REMINISCENCES 

where she was concealed. She kept her children still, 
but she had with her a small dog who gave heik intense 
solicitude lest by his barking, he should attract the at- 
tention of the savages ; but the dog seemed to under- 
stand the importance of "a silent tongue,''^ and kept 
still. 

On the morning of the 12th, a scout of twelve men 
was sent from the fort ; and then she emerged from 
her concealment, all wet and chilly, from the snow 
that had fallen, and went with the party to the fort^ 
Here she was presented by the officer in command 
with one of his shirts, to take the place of her wet 
under garment. She retired to put it on ; but one of 
her daughters was missing, who separated from her 
when they fled from the house, and who the mother, 
with painful apprehensions, supposed had very likely 
been captured or murdered by the enemy. Soon after 
Mrs. Clyde had adjusted her dress, she was delighted 
to see her daughter approaching the fort. When the 
family left the house, they hurried to a thicket to 
conceal themselves, and in the confusion of the moment 
became separated. The young woman remained con- 
cealed through the night, and next morning crept 
stealthily from her concealment, intending to make a 
desperate effort to reach the fort. Her father had a 
mare, on which the girls were accustomed to ride, and 
so gentle, that the young woman did not hesitate to 
mount her without saddle or bridle. Guiding her with 
a stick, she made directly for the fort, by a foot-path 
across the flats, and came galloping up to the gateway, 
her dishevelled hair streaming in the wind, and thus 
was she united with the rest of the family 

Mrs. Clyde was well-informed, for she read every 
thing, and remembered all she read. I have frequently 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 453 

heard her relate those revolutionary incidents ; and I 
do not suppose there was a more earnest, resolute, and 
devoted whig in the country than she was. It has 
often been remarked, that her influence was as great 
in keeping up revolutionary ardor, as was any of the 
settlers on that frontier, whether male or female. It 
is proper to state, that several incidents that I have 
related in reference to Col. Clyde, are from his grand- 
son, Hon. George C. Clyde, in whose statements I 
have the fullest confidence ; for having studied his pro- 
fession with me, I ought to Tcnow something of his 
reputation, and I have no doubt of the general accuracy 
of his statements. 

I have been at a loss to determine in my own 
mind, whether the dreadful butchery that took place at 
Cherry Valley is, as it has generally been, to be 
attributed to a cold-blooded determination on the part 
of Brandt, to massacre those who should fall into his 
hands. Brandt had been educated, and had associated 
much with white men, and was familiar with habits 
and modes of civilized life. He is said to have been 
a freemason ; and I have often heard it asserted by 
the old residents of Cherry Valley, that he saved the 
life of Lieut. Col. Stacy, who was second in command 
of the fort, but being outside, was made prisoner when 
Col. Alden was killed. It is said Stacy was a free- 
mason, and as such made an appeal to Brandt, and 
was spared. Judge James S. Campbell, of Cherry 
Valley, who was then a child and a prisoner, informs 
me, that he recollects seeing Col. Stacy stripped of his 
clothing, as if about to be murdersd, but his life was 
spared. 

I can easily imagine, that in the heat of battle, the 
lives of prisoners might be sacrificed, even if orders 
had been given to the contrary, for with civilized na- 



464 REMINISCENCES 

tions such melancholy events are not of rare occurrence. 
But it is obvious that Brandt could not have been 
everywhere among the Indians, when the sudden 
attack was made ; for tftey came up on each side of 
the creek far removed from each other, and passing 
by the fort hastily, spread over the settlement. I have 
understood that Brandt always denied that he au- 
thorised the destruction" of women and children, or of 
men after they ceased to resist. No doubt he intended 
to break up the settlement, and scatter the inhabitants 
by fire and sword, and hoped to take and destroy the 
fort. Whatever might have been his private wishes, 
it was hardly possible to restrain the wild and blood- 
thirsty savages from indulging in their natural pro- 
pensities and their usages in war. 

Another extenuating circumstance, in reference to 
Brandt, may be drawn from the fact, that Capt. 
Walter Butler, who commanded the "rangers," had 
command of the party in this expedition, under whom 
Brandt was a subordinate. Butler was the son of 
Col. John Butler, who commanded the " greens," and 
Walter Butler is known to have indulged in all the 
barbarities of his savage associates, and was prover- 
bial for his cruelties, for which he received a merited 
retribution shortly afterwards. 

In 1830 I met a son of the warrior Brandt, at 
Saratoga. He was from Canada, and on learning that 
I was from Cherry Valley, made many inquiries, and 
remarked that he wished very much to visit the place. 
He told me who he was, and said his father had been 
cruelly misrepresented in regard to the Cherry Valley 
massacres; that he never authorized them, but on the 
contrary, restrained the Indians as far as he could, 
and always regretted the sacrifice of life. 

The late William McKown, who died a lew years 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 465 

ago, related the following incident to me, which would 
rather go to exculpate Brandt from the charge of a de- 
sire for indiscriminate slaughter. 

Mr. McKown was a lad when Cherry Valley was 
destroyed, and the incident referred to was as follows : 

The summer previous to the destruction of Cherry 
Valley, he was raking hay on the McConnel farm, when 
late in the afternoon he heard footsteps, and on turning 
round, saw a man stealthily approaching him, who was 
so near that escape seemed impossible. 

The stranger was Brandt, who was armed, and 
came out of the adjacent woods. McKown was alarm- 
ed, and his first thought was to make his escape, but 
Brandt told him not to be alarmed, as he would not 
hurt him. 

He then enquired where one of the settlers might be 
found, who was suspected of being a tory in his pre- 
judices, if not openly so, and on being directed to his 
residence, peaceably departed. The settler referred to 
was "Old Jackey Foster." 

There is no doubt Brandt came there privately, to 
ascertain the strength of the fort, and the condition 
and location of the inhabitants, preparatory to the con- 
templated attack. 

In speaking of Col. Clyde, I have remarked that 
he was engaged in the battle of Palatine. 

I suppose this to have been one of those frontier 
skirmishes, where Col. Willett was in command. 

In one of those skirmishes Walter Butler, who was 
son of Col. John Butler, was killed near Canada Creek. 
Walter Butler commanded a company known as 
" rangers," and generally accompanied the Indians in 
their expeditions. He was as noted for his barbarities 
as his most savage associates, and was the leader of 
30 



456* REMINISCENCES 

the party that destroyed Cherry Valley, a bold, vigilant, 
and dangerous adversary. 

Seebe Granger, a revolutionary soldier, who recently 
died at Cherry Valley, has told me that he belonged 
to a corps stationed at or near Herkimer or German 
Flats. 

They received orders to march up one of the Cana- 
da Creeks v^^ith a view of attacking or cutting off But- 
ler's party, who were retreating through the woods from 
the neighborhood of Johnstown, where Willett had en- 
countered them. The party to which Granger be- 
longed, marched up the creek into the wilderness, and 
struck the trail of the retreating party, and soon came 
on the camp where they had stopped through the night. 
The camp fires were burning, but the enemy were 
away. 

They were pursued, and on the opposite side of the 
creek, Butler was discovered by the advanced scouts 
of the American party. He had loitered behind his 
own men, to see that they all hurried along in making 
good their retreat. 

They had all crossed the stream, and Butler at a 
long shot distance from the pursuing party, with the 
large creek between him and them, felt quite secure, 
and to tantalize them, clapped his hand upon his poste- 
riors. An Oneida Indian, who was with the American 
party, was one of the foremost of the pursuers ; and 
when Butler presented his backside, the Indian drew 
up with deliberate aim and though a very long shot, 
brought down his adversary. Rushing across the creek 
he soon approached him. Butler attempted to rise, but 
his back was broken, so that he was helpless ; and then 
he begged for quarter. The Indian told him he should 
have " Cherry Valley quarter^^ and knocking him on 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 467 

the head, tore off his scalp, while he was yet writhing 
in the agonies of death. 

Granger saw him before he was quite dead, and 
very soon a Dutch boy came to them who had been 
captured by Butler's party, and escaped from them as 
they were hastily retreating. 

Many other incidents might be related of those bor- 
der troubles, but I fear my remarks are already too 
desultory, and too much extended for "grave yard" re- 
flections. 

I was a member of the court for the correction 
of errors, and was attending a session of that court in 
the city of New York, when Col. Willett died. The 
court was invited to attend his funeral. Those present 
who remember the circumstances, will recollect that he 
was buried in the dress that he formerly wore, which I 
suppose, was his old revolutionary partizan field dress. 
The coat was grey or mixed, and he had on his head 
a half-military cap. How it happened that he was 
thus clad I do not know, but presume he had requested 
to be buried in the dress he had worn while in the ser- 
vice of his country. 

He was a brave, vigilant, and valuable officer, ad- 
mirably qualified for active frontier services. 

His remains were deposited in Trinity church-yard, 
and vollies of musketry over the grave of the departed 
hero were fired, but not till it began to grow dark, in 
the evening. 

Those who have read the '' Annals of Tryon coun- 
ty" and other works treating of those frontier contests, 
will recollect the butchery of the Wells family at Cher- 
ry Valley, as one of the most appalling in that bloody 
tragedy. They were all murdered except the late dis- 
tinguished John Wells, of the city of New York, who 



468 REMINISCENCES 

was absent at the time ; and the whole family consigned 
to a common grave without a stone to mark their burial 
place. 

In addition to those I have mentioned, many other 
old people are buried there; among others, Simeon 
Goodell, a revolutionary soldier, nearly ninety years 
old. Also captain Jerome Clark, who was in Bunker 
Hill battle, and served through the war. He lived to 
the advanced age of ninety-four years, always sustain- 
ing the character of an American patriot, as well as a 
good citizen, and upright religious man. 

There is a mournful pleasure in looking at the 
graves of my old neighbors and friends ; and at my last 
visit my mind was in that gloomy state, that I would 
not on any account have omitted my usual ramble 
** among the tombs." Only think of the changes where 
I resided thirty years. To say nothing of children and 
other relatives, look at the list of a small portion of my 
old associates. Isaac Seelye, Judge Morse, the two Dr. 
Whites, Dr. Campbell, Mr. Rose, Mason Fitch, and 
many others, now no more. Scarcely any of those of 
my immediate associates remain, except Judge Ham- 
mond, Judge Campbell, Mr. Ripley, and a few others. 
My old friend Brackett, as I have elsewhere remarked, 
is alive, but has gone to the Mississippi, and is so far 
removed and advanced in life, that we shall probably 
never again see each other. Mason Fitch went off 
suddenly, an honest, noble-souled, kind-hearted man. 
At the time of his death, I thought no one could have 
been taken from that little society whom I should more 
miss and deplore than him. Judge Hammond is there 
still, but age impairs his health, and too clearly indicates 
the wintry period of life. 

Mr. Trull, one of the most stirring, energetic, busi- 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 469 

ness men in the village, came there at a later period ; 
and though he and myself for many years have been on 
close intimate terms, I do not class him among my 
" oldest associates.'* 

I shall always hold Cherry Valley in kind remem- 
brance. It is the birth-place of my children. Thirty 
years of my life, and by far the best and most prosper- 
ous, were spent there. The confidence of its citizens 
was extended to me beyond what I had a right to ex- 
pect ; and being the resting-place of two of my child- 
ren, and the birth-place of all, with two brothers and a 
sister sleeping in its grave-yard, I should hold mj'-self 
in abhorrence could I forget or cease to love and vener- 
ate its hallowed associations. No ! I delight to cherish 
these recollections, and to dwell on the vicissitudes of 
bye-gone years, when hope, joy, and bright anticipations 
for the future were predominant, and impelled me for- 
ward in the " struggle of life." 

I delight to visit that yard, where in the stillness of 
the evening, I have frequently called up in memory the 
recollection of many friends now sleeping their " last 
sleep." May the clods of that beautiful and romantic 
valley lie gently on them ; and the remembrance of 
their names and their virtues come up sweetly to the 
recollection and contemplation of surviving friends. 

There is one thing wanting, that will occur to every 
visitant who brings to mind the horrid massacre durinff 
the revolutionary war. 

Strange as it may now seem when our frontier set- 
tlements are pushed to the Rocky Mountains, to say 
nothing of the Pacific, Cherry Valley was then an ex- 
posed and poorly protected settlement ; where its seclu- 
ded inhabitants were liable to surprise at any time by 
lurking savages, which alas, was too fearfully realized. 



470 REMINISCENCES 

Every one acquainted with revolutionary incidents, 
knows that next to the massacre of Wyoming, none 
were attended with more fearful consequences, more 
suffering and brutal sacrifice of life, without regard to 
sex, age, or condition, than were here perpetrated. 
Whole families were immolated and consigned to a 
common grave. On visiting the village in 1S4S, I was 
so impressed with the belief that its citizens would at 
some future time, desire to place something there, that 
should perpetuate the remembrance of the sad event, 
that I asked CoL Clyde, who knew the spot where the 
Wells family and others of the murdered were buried, 
to point it out. 

This he did, and as the old inhabitants were near- 
ly all gone, and those remaining rapidly passing away, 
we drove a stake near the centre of the pit, to designate 
the place, in hopes that at some subsequent period a 
monument might be placed there. 

My Cherry Valley friends, I trust, may yet awake 
to the subject, and by erecting some suitable, plain, sub- 
stantial monument with appropriate inscription, thus 
mark the spot, and by perpetuating the event, add an 
additional attraction to that hallowed locality. 



SY L£VI BSAHPSLEY. 471 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Unadilla Hunts. — Memhers of the Club. — Hon. SJicrman 
Page, Grand Sachem. — A Wceh''s Shooting. — Vrcmium 
'Buck awarded Dog Primo. — Interlopers and Poachers 
punished. — Shoot a large BucJc. — Sjjlendid Sport for a 
Day, and Carousal at Night. — Various Incidents. — 
Letters from Judge Page and Col. Clapp. — Poems hy 
the late Henry R. Storrs and Morris S. Miller. — Primo 
extricated from a perilous condition. — Exploits and 
Incidents. 

" Hark .' the goddess Diana calls aloud for the chase, 
Bright Phcebus awakens the morn!" — Hunting Song. 

As I was formerly a member of the Unadilla Hunting 
Club, I must devote a large portion of a chapter, which 
I fear will be too much in extenso, to sports of the field, 
growing out of visits to that celebrated sporting ground. 
Those Unadilla hunts, about thirty years ago, were 
better managed, I imagine, than any of the kind in 
this state for many years, and were attended by sports- 
men who came, some of them, more than sixty miles, 
about which distance I used to go. From Chenango 
several used to attend, among whom were Col. Clapp, 
Gen. Rathbone, Judge Monell, Simon G. Throop, Gen. 
Peter Sken Smith, Hon. John C. Clark, and Col. Ben- 
jamin, now deceased. Judge Morris, of Butternuts, 
Col. Starkweather, and Joseph Miller, of Cooperstown; 
Messrs. Devereaux, Lansing, and Griswold, from 
Utica, with others from abroad. At Unadilla, Hon. 
Sherman Page, who has been judge of Otsego county, 
representative in assembly, and twice elected to con- 



472 REMINISCENCES 

gress, was the soul of the hunt, and was known as our 
"grand sachem." Henry Ogden, esq- since deceased, 
a fine talented fellow, but amazingly fond of hunting 
and fishing, was one of the association, and a most 
keen sportsman. Dr. Colwell, an old school-fellow 
with me, still living at Unadilla, was also one of the 
craft. 

These meetings were in the autumn, for several 
successive years, generally in November, and usually 
commenced Tuesday morning, winding off Friday 
evening. The time devoted to them was given up, 
particularly the evening, to boisterous mirth and roister- 
ing stirring events. In the course of the week, the 
grand sachem would give an excellent supper, which 
from the substantial fare and abundance of creature 
comforts, should have been dignified as dinner, except 
as the day's sport compelled the table exercises to 
come off in the evening. One or two good saddles of 
venison always constituted part of these feasts, to 
which were added other substantial as well as luxuries, 
of which the fine Susquehanna pike taken by friend 
Ogden, were indispensable. Wine and brandy were 
not unsparingly proffered, and those suppers passed 
off with an exuberance of good feeling and good cheer, 
that rendered them, as well as their hospitable giver, 
decidedly popular. 

An account of a day's shooting will serve as an 
insight to the sports of each day through the week. 
Our rendezvous was the village inn, known as " Hun- 
ter's Hall," where each night were assembled a crowd, 
consisting of the patrons of the hunt, and a large 
number of those who, knowing the woods, were to 
put out the dogs in the morning, and drive the deer to 
the different "runways" where the amateur sportsmen 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 473 

were stationed. These runners and scourers of the 
hills were good shots. Each had his rifle, and was to 
shoofrthe deer whenever he could. They were selectecf 
and employed by the grand sachem, and were devoted 
to our interest ; and unless we had employed them, we 
should hardly have been permitted to '' drive the deer," 
except at the imminent peril of our hounds, if not of 
ourselves. After taking the best precautions we could, 
many deer were shot by poachers and interlopers 
before our dogs, but if they came among us at night, 
being generally known by our hunters, they fared 
poorly, for ours were not slow to inflict personal chas- 
tisement. I saw one who avowed having shot one of 
our deer, and justified it on the ground that he had as 
much right to it as we had, knocked down and kicked 
about the street by one of our drivers. Ours was a 
raftsman, a good shot, and as fond of a fight as of a 
frolic, and always ready for either. He so punished 
the interloper that he gave us a wide berth for the 
future, though he threatened to shoot our dogs, for 
which he was "licked" a second time. Our man 
Carly was pretty well paid for his pugilistic services, 
as he assured me on my shaking hands, and leaving a 
half dollar in his, that every gentleman had Messed 
him with an equal amount. Every night the tavern 
was crowded with our huntsmen, who with the grand 
sachem, discussed and settled upon the route for the 
ensuing day. They as well as the sportsmen generally, 
were well refreshed, and the evenings wound up with 
story telling and song singing, in which our friend 
Throop and Gen. Smith used to distinguish themselves. 
The dogs were secured at night, that we might be 
sure of their services in the morning. Just at day-light 
the bugle was sounded, which was a signal for the 
sportsmen to prepare for breakfast, and for the hunters 



474 REMINISCENCES 

to be ready to start with the dogs. As it reverberated 
beautifully among the hills, and diffused its animating 
'strains along the valley, it would stir and cheer up the 
dofs, who would respond by clam.orous and discordant 
yells, all eager to join in the chase which they knew 
was in preparation. Having decided to scour the hills, 
for instance, on the north side of the river, part of the 
dogs were sent to the round top, others to the vUe, and 
sportsmen were stationed at the Indian monument, the 
hay stacks, the mouth of the ouleout, and other well- 
known runways of the deer to the river. 

My old hound Primo had never followed deer till 
he went with me to Unadilla, and as he would not 
follow strangers, I generally went on horseback to the 
woods with him. Primo was intelligent, had a good 
nose, was reasonably fleet on foot, patient and perse- 
vering in tracing out a cold track, and when he opened, 
his voice was most musical and sonorous- He assisted 
in running the first deer started, and although his first 
effort, he acquitted himself so well, and also through 
the week, that the sportsmen awarded me a premium 
buck, for his distinguished services. 

Those chases were exceedingly exciting; nothing 
could be more so. On reaching the recesses of the 
forests with which the hills on each side of the river 
were densely covered, the dogs would frequently beat 
the thickets an hour before getting up the deer. On 
striking the old trail, they would occasionally give 
tongue, while they were slowly tracing it out in all its 
intricate windings. As they drew nearer, the scent 
became more apparent, and they of course more ex- 
cited. They would finally rouse him and then open 
in full cry, so that the most inexperienced ear could 
not fail to know the game was up. 

The deer, on being thus started, often leads off in 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 475 

a contrary direction from the river, to ascertain whether 
the dogs are actually pursuing him, and makes several 
doubles to throw them off his track, running often 
round the hills, where the hunters try to shoot him. 
Finding himself hotly pursued, or alarmed at a shot or 
the sight of a huntsman, he makes a straight course 
for the river, and then leaves the dogs far behind. 
When he makes up his mind to go, it is almost im- 
possible to check him till he reaches the river's bank. 
He shoots straight a-head, and often takes the water 
before the dogs are in hearing of those at the river. 
The cry of the dogs is enchanting, as they pass from 
hill to hill ; now swelling into full chorus, and then 
receding till entirely lost ; again returning, and their 
cheerful notes re-echoing from one side of the river to 
the other, and reverberating among the hills. On 
reaching the strait trail, they come rushing down like 
a mountain storm. You hear rifle shots in the distance, 
which tell you the deer is there, far far ahead of the 
dogs. They finally reach the river, and if he is killed 
the clamor ceases : if not, they plunge in and swim, 
to take the trail on the other side. I have seen nine 
of them swimming the river at once, and nothing can 
be more beautiful — their noses just out of water, and 
their large ears floating on its surface, as they make 
for the farther shore. I recollect my dogs swam the 
river nearly a dozen times in a single day in Novem- 
ber. It is surprising to see the sagacity of the hound 
in hunting out the trail when he crosses to the opposite 
shore. As soon as he reaches land, he runs up and 
down the river's bank, till he finds the place where 
the deer left the water, and then is off" in pursuit and 
full cry. 

I have recently written to Judge Page, now seventy- 



476 REMINISCENCEo 

two years of age, inquiring what he recollects of those 
hunts. After recurring with melancholy reflections, to 
the loss of so many of our old associates, the spirit, of 
the sportsman becomes so apparent, that I cannot 
refrain from inserting an extract from his letter. 

♦' We killed (he says) twenty-seven deer one week. 
You helped slaughter the whole. Among them were 
twelve large bucks." This is rather figurative. I 
only " slaughtered" them by being present during the 
week, and doing what I could to promote the general 
object. 

" That week we ran fifty-two well-trained hounds, 
among whom were Primus and Driver. We had 
thirty-one men who put out the dogs, some in pairs, 
others single ; and about thirty bloods, some on horse- 
back and others on foot ; some watching the points of 
hills, others at the fords of the river, and always one 
or more at the Indian monument. All stations were 
occupied; and by the rising of the sun, our hounds^ 
were giving tongue at every point of compass from 
Hunter's Hall. 

" These were times that enlarged and enlivened 
men's souls. Imagine yourself on the high bank at Pomps 
Eddy, (as you used to be,) the sun just rising over 
' Burnt Hill,' ' Round Top' at the south. Poplar Hill 
at the north, the famous eel weir above, and the cave 
bank below you. A hound breaks forth on Poplar Hill, 
another, and still another on Burnt Hill, and Round 
Top. By this time twenty are in hearing. You know 
not where the deer may come — you hear a rifle at the 
cave bank, and now another at the eel weir ; and perhaps 
at the hay stacks and ouleout ; crack ! crack ! crack ! 
and still the music of the dogs, growing louder and 
more shrifl, as they approach. All is expectation and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 477 

excitement ; you are flurried. At this moment, a large 
buck with antlers erect, is seen on the opposite side 
making his way directly to you. Your rifle is well 
loaded, and you have examined the priming, to see that 
all is right, you are certain of a shot, and a moment 
more you have him. Pop goes a smooth bore, and 
Spikerman the poacher has killed him. Your agitation 
and excitement ceases, for you are angry, and wish 
John Carley was there to lick the rascal. You despair 
of killing an3rthing ; but don't be discouraged, for an- 
other deer will soon be along, and as for Carley, he will 
certainly flog the poacher, when he meets him. The 
dogs are still in full cry in every direction, and j'Our 
morning's sport has just commenced; keep your place, 
for another deer will be here ; and so it turned out. 
You have killed him, and Carley has found and licked 
Spikerman, and got away his buck ; but has finally 
restored it at your request after the flogging; for you 
and your friends have enough, and you have given the 
poaching rascal a drink from that choice bottle slung 
under your arm, and thus secured his friendship, just 
as you did with Captain Adarine Carley, and uncle 
Sperry." 

Now in all this, though pretty well colored, there is 
more truth than fiction ! Standing on those high hills, 
and listening to the cry of the hounds, I have often ad- 
mired the inimitable description by the " Bard of Avon" 
who in the " mid-summer night's dream" makes The- 
seus before uncoupling his hounds, invite Hyppolita to a 
position the better to hear them, and says : 

" We will, fair queen, up to the mountain top, and 
mark the musical confusion of hounds, and echo in 
conjunction." To this she replies : 

" I was V\"Ilh Hercules niul Cadmus once, when in 



W^ UEMTNISCENCES 

a wood of Crete tbey baj'^'d the bear with bounds of 
Sparta ; never did I bear sucb gallant abiding ; for, be- 
sides the groves, the skies, the fountains, every region 
near seemed all one mutual cry ; I never heard so mu- 
sical a discord, sucb sweet thunder." 

Theseus flattered with the just discrimination of his 
queen, in thus appreciating tbe cheerful exhilirating cry 
of the hounds, and approbation of tbe sport, gives the 
qualities of bis own ; not inappropriate to ours, particu- 
larly my three — Prime, Hunter, and Dashwood, and 
says : ' • 

" My hounds are bred out of tbe Spartan kind, so 
flewed and sanded ; and their heads are bung with 
ears that sweep away the morning dew ; crook kneed 
and dewlap'd like Thessalian bulls ; slow in pursuit, 
but match'd in mouth like bells, each under each; a 
cry more tuneable, was never balloo'd to, nor cheered 
with horn." 

How true to life all this is, and how often I have 
realized it. Even in my sleep, and often within the 
last twelve months I have dreamed of those Unadilla 
hunts, and the well-known cries of the hounds that 
used to traverse those romantic hills. That music has, 
in fact ceased, the deer are all gone, the huntsmen have 
laid by their rifles, and civilization and agricultural 
improvements have spread over those rugged hills, as 
well as the delightful vallies. 

On one occasion, at those hunts, I had gone on 
horseback with my three dogs, to a high hill, known as 
the " Round Top," where, after beating about a con- 
siderable time, tbey struck a trail that slightly attracted 
their attention, which was manifested by an occasional 
yelp. 

I hurried to them, and found them slowly working 



BY LEVI EEARDSLBY. 479 

their way towards a thicket, interspersed with low tang- 
ling brush, and well calculated to conceal any animal 
which should choose to take shelter in it. 

The dogs were not in the least excited, but were 
patiently scenting out an old, but monstrous large track 
of a deer, that had been there so long before, that 
scarcely any scent remained by which they could trace 
him. When hounds attempt to follow such a track, 
they not only keep their noses to it, but they smell the 
small brush and weeds, that may have come in contact 
with the sides or legs of the deer, and to which he may 
have imparted in the shghtest degree that scent, which, 
however subtle and insinuating, enables them to follow. 
The farther they went the more earnest they seemed to 
be, and instead of that slight yelp that was onlv in- 
tended to attract attention, they began to indulge in a 
much more frequent and sonorous cry, which clearly 
indicated that they were getting nearer the chase. 

As they went into the thicket, I was quite sure they 
would soon rouse him, nor was it long before my anti- 
cipations were fully realized, for I saw a monstrous 
buck leap out and bound away at a long shot distance, 
moving oft' in most gallant style. 

His flag was up, showing the white; and his antlers 
hugely large, and apparently broad as a rocking chair. 
"When a buck goes off in this proud manner, he appears 
much larger than he actually is, for his brush being 
erected, and at every bound, showing the white of it 
with his white belly, he looks at a distance nearly as 
large as a small horse, particularly to new sportsmen ; 
and hence, they generally miss them at their first shots. 
He did not run swiftly, but went off" with that proud 
high bound, for which his kind are distinguished, when 
they wish to give play, look around and ascertain whe- 
ther they are exposed to danger. 



4S0 REMINISCENCES 

The moment he stirred the dogs caught his fresh 
scent, and then all three opened in full cry, and pur- 
sued as fast as they could. The buck steered for some 
high rough cobble hills, and there played for some time 
before the dogs, running round the hills, and keeping 
just far enough ahead to be a few rods out of their way, 
but near enough to excite them to make all the haste 
they could, and all the music that three matched and 
well-toned voices could possibly utter. My object was 
to shoot him before he left the hill, and though I saw 
him several times playing through the bushes before the 
dogs, I could not get a shot at him. 

It became very exciting ; when at last he must 
have seen me as I was moving from one place to ano- 
ther, to cut him off, and then he increased his speed. 
He had played so long, that I was sure he would soon 
make for the river, and the place to which he would 
be likely to run, was known as the " hay stacks," where 
our Grand Sachem Page and another good shot were 
stationed. In his course there the deer would be likely 
to cross the road near the Indian monument, where a 
rifleman was also placed. I had pushed my horse 
somewhat towards the river before the deer began to 
run that way, so that by hurrying down the hill I soon 
saw him as he passed down some distance from me, 
and was thus considerably ahead, and the dogs follow- 
ing in full cry, though many rods behind him. On 
clearing the wood, my horse was put in pursuit as fast 
as I could whip him to it, and it was an exciting ride ; 
for I could nearly keep up with the dogs, and the deer 
was in plain view the whole way after he had broke 
cover and approached the flat land and meadows, 
that skirted the beautiful Susquehanna. 

In his course he ran wide from the Indian monu- 
ment, so that he was neither frightened or annoyed 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 481 

from that quarter, which induced me to redouble my 
speed, under an impression that he might give play in 
the meadow before taking water, and thus enable me 
to get a shot. Riding at that speed was exceedingly 
hazardous, but it was a " neck-or-nothing" sort of busi- 
ness, a perfect hurry scurry ; and with a large buck in 
sight the danger of a fall, and breaking of limbs or 
even the neck was not to be taken into the account. 
The deer halted for a short time as he approached the 
meadow, to look about and see if the course was clear ; 
when hearing the clamor of the dogs as they were ra- 
pidly approaching, he cleared the fence at a single 
bound, and galloped off towards the river in the direc- 
tion of the " hay stacks." 

This was an interesting moment, for the question 
whether he was to be caught before entering the river, 
depended on the skill, coolness, and good conduct of 
the sachem and his companion, who were stationed 
there. 

Fixing my eyes in that direction, I soon saw the 
curling of the smoke from two rifles, almost instantane- 
ously followed by their sharp reports, and at the same 
time, saw the deer make a high unnatural spasmodic 
spring, dropping his flag at the same instant, and then 
made his way slowly towards the river's brink. 

I had shot deer myself, and had seen enough shot 
to satisfy me, from his movements, that he was amaz- 
ingly sick from the medicine they had administered, 
but he soon disappeared from sight as he descended 
the bank towards the water. In a moment the sachem 
and his companion ran towards him, and raised a shout 
of triumph that came echoing back from the southern 
hills, and this shout told the story, that the monarch 
of the forest was slain. 
31 



482 REMINISCENCES 

The dogs with discordant and vociferous yells, in- 
creased their speed on hearing the rifles and the shouts, 
and were soon in at the death, and then their cries 
ceased. 

On seeing the flash of the rifles I slackened my 
pace and rode leisurely along, for there was no occasion 
then for hurrying at the risk of my neck, and it was 
lucky that I did so, for just then I heard the cry of a 
strange dog, and looking off at the right I saw on a small 
hillock covered with shrubs, a large buck that slopped 
and listened. He was a long shot from me, but his 
side was partly presented, making a beautiful mark. 
I had checked my horse as soon as I heard the strange 
dog, and on the deer getting in position, I took a hasty 
aim, holding my gun as steady as possible on horse- 
back, and let drive at him. He was at least, twenty- 
five rods from me, but the rifle being well directed, the 
flying messenger sped its unerring way, and lodged in 
his vital parts. 

The buck bounded off", and was soon concealed in 
the brush and shrubberry. Leaving my horse and 
scrambling up to where he stood, I soon found incontes- 
tible proof that he had been shot through the body, and 
I had no doubt that it was near his heart, for I had 
aimed at that part. Tracing him by his blood, I did 
not go more than ten rods when I came upon him, 
stretched out and entirely dead, and before I had fully 
cut his throat the dog that had been following him came 
up. Then repairing to the river where my friend 
Page was stationed, I found my three dogs lying by the 
side of the deer they had driven, watching him intent- 
ly, and waiting my arrival, They knew him to be the 
one they had been following, and claimed him as their 
own, and when we drew him up the river's bank, and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 483 

tnence to the road, they strutted along by his side ; and 
whenever a strange dog approached, they manifested 
great displeasure, and were ready to contest their right 
by a regular onslaught on all intruders. 

From the size of the ball that had killed him, it was 
apparent the grand sachem had done the work, thus 
adding another chaplet to his well-deserved sporting 
brow, and an additional incident to his catalogue of 
splendid achievements. The buck was truly a mam- 
moth, and after he was dressed, his carcass weighed 
about two hundred pounds. We then drew the deer 
that I had shot to the road, and the two were piled into 
a one-horse wagon, and " toted" to the village ; though 
to put them into the wagon, was about as much as we 
could do. 

Creditable as these exploits were, two enormous 
bucks were not the only trophies of this day's work. 

A party at another runway, brought in two or three 
others, but none so large as ours. The sport had been 
so fine that day, that the evening was spent with far 
more than usual hilarity, even into the eye of the 
morning ; and many songs, jokes, and stories, served to 
while away the time, to the infinite amusement of the 
crowd who nightly assembled at " Hunters Hall." Of 
that night it might truly be said, " There was a sound 
of revelry by night." 

Nor were they sparing in their potations, so that had 
old Bacchus himself been there, he would have found 
votaries very well qualified to contest even with him, 
the palm of victory, and not improbably would have 
hustled him under the table. 

If it could not be done there, it would have been a 
work of supererogation to have gone any where else. 
From the spoils of this week's hunting I carried home as 



484 REMINISCENCES 

many choice saddles as I desired, and the antlers that 
had graced the heads of several of the forest rangers. 

Several well written accounts and articles, in refer- 
ence to the hunts, were published at the time, some of 
which will be found in the course of this chapter. 

I ought to say a word of the excellent lady, Mrs. 
Page, who used to provide those fine entertainments, 
(and hope I may say it without offence.) No one knew 
better than she, how to get up a venison supper that 
would fit precisely the appetites of those prepared for 
their enjoyment, by the active exercises of the day. So 
far as appetite was concerned, the jaunting through 
woods, over hill and dale, could not fail to promote it. 

Talk of your Saratoga waters, your sea-bathing, 
and the various effeminate devices to promote health ! 

Good enough in their places, yet in comparison with 
manly field sports, they are mere nostrums, simple ex- 
pedients to engage the attention of idlers, and evanes- 
cent and trifling as vanity itself. 

The man who is fond of wood-craft, who rides well, 
shoots well, and enjoys with a keen relish the hardy 
amusements, is a wise man ; for he promotes health, and 
takes life easily. Such a man with a clear conscience, 
sleeps well, and must have a good appetite. But with- 
out artificial stimulants, those venison suppers would 
induce desire, for they were precisely the creature com- 
forts that the " inner man" would delight in, under any 
circumstances. 

Col. Clapp, of Oxford, Chenango, has recently writ- 
ten me, and enclosed several productions relative to 
the Unadilla hunts. 

One is an appropriate parody by the late Henry R. 
Storrs, a distinguished advocate, who formerly repre- 
sented the Oneida district, in congress. Another signed 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 

" Old Towser," by the late Morris S. Miller, first judge 
of Oneida county, which with other productions were 
published at the time. He has also sent me a letter 
from our grand sachem, giving an account of the cap- 
ture and rescue of the colonel's favorite dog Driver. 

Speaking of our hunts, Col. Clapp says, " They 
generally lasted four or five days, and resulted in the 
capture of twenty or twenty-five deer. 

" I have seen nineteen fat bucks and does, lying 
side by side, in the ball room of our hotel, in Unadilla. 
The glorious scenes in the chase, and many remark- 
able deaths that occurred j the music of the dogs, and 
the excitement of the sportsmen, are indelibly impressed 
on my memory." 



Letter from Hon. Sherman Page. 

November SOth, 1821. 
" J. Clapp, esq. : — I this day shipped Driver with 
General Rathbone, for Oxford. As Driver will hardly 
be able to inform you of the various incidents which 
have befallen him since the great hunt, I assume the 
task. He drove one of our stall fed bucks into the in- 
terior of Delaware county, where the buck was killed 
before him ; and Driver, poor fellow, was made prisoner 
by one of the pirates, where for several days with a 
rope about his neck, and more than Algerlne barbarity 
inflicted on his weary body, he suffered many pains 
and tortures similar to Captain Riley. His liberation 
was effected yesterday by sending an express. 

S. Page." 



48i6 REMINISCENCES 

" THE SPORTS OF THE CHASE ; 

Or the ryghte merrie exj)loits of ye huntinge i?i Unadilla 
Joreste.^^ 

BY HON. HENRY R. STORRS, 

"Cervus erat forma praestanti et cornibus ingens." 

^«. Virg., Lib. VI. 483. 
I. 
" Have you heard of a buck, which came out of the west 1 
Of all that wore antlers, his speed was the best, 
Save his broad horns and swift heels, he weapons had none, 
He roamed without fear, for he roamed all alone ; 
So stately his gait, and so nimble his feet. 
You'd have long'd for a shot, though you liked not his meat. 

II. 

" By a late heavy freshet, the bridges were gone, 
So he swam the Chenango where ford there was none, 
He stop't not for fences, and staid not for brake, 
Till he reached the deep thickets of Butternut Creek, 
There he nipp'd the green moss, to all bucks a rich benison, 
Nor dreamt that ere night he'd be turned into venison 

III. 
" But Dlan's high votaries were up with the dawn. 
The dogs they gave tongue, the hills echoed the horn, 
Yet so boldly he bay'd them, so stately and tall, 
The huntsmen, dogs, muskets, and horses and all ; 
And so fiercely he fought, he'd near stam*p'd out the liver. 
Of those " thorough-bred," " far-famed" dogs. Primus and 
Driver. 

IV. 

" Came ye here to be chased, or came ye in war ? 
Cried out Clapp ; ' Primus, Driver ! set on boys, hurra !' 
We'll tread you a measure, but scarce had he spoke, 
When from Driver's deep mouth the loud whilliloo broke, 
And the mountains, the wood-lands, the dales and the bogs, 
Again rang with the music of three packs of dogs. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 4S7 

V. 

" So liglitly o'er briar, bush, and hillock he spi-ung, 
And so loudly the thickets, with wkilliloo rung. 
One followed the dogs, one examined his flint, 
One look'd in his pan, if his priming was in't, 
One flash'd, many shot, and another miss'd fire, 
They'd have killed him, no doubt, had he been somewhat 
nigher. 

VI. 

" There was mounting 'mongst those of the Otsego clan, 
Beardsley, Morris, Starkweather, they rode and they ran, 
There was racing and chasing on Butternut Creek, 
'Twas sublime sport to ride at the risk of your neck; 
But sublimer by far, when the dogs seemed to pose, 
To see Diiver lead on the true track by his nose. 

VII, 

" The dogs are at fault, but dog, huntsmen, and horse, 
All met near the stream, where 'twas too wide to cross, 
And the buck seemed at last, to have made his escape, 
(Right glad without doubt to get out of the scrape ;) 
E'en Driver was bauk'd, Clapp was fixing to hide him, 
When at last on the opposite bank they espied him, 

VIII. 

" They looked up and down, for a passage of dry land, 
But found that the chase had fled to an island. 
There he looked at the dogs, and the dogs looked at him, 
'Twas too rapid and broad for e'en Driver to swim ; 
And so they resolved, as they could not get nigh him, 
Tho' 'twas too far to shoot, 'twasn't too far to try hira. 

IX. 

" He seemed as he stood there, the cavalcade viewing, 
To have very faint notions of what they were doing, 
So composed and at leisure, he looked in their faces, 
He seemed to feel quite sui'e, at two hundred paces, 
'Twas provoking to think that he thus bid defiance. 
To their dogs, horses, shot, their gun-powJer, and science. 



488 REMINISCENCES 

X. 

•* But tliy days, (alas ! poor buck, how unkind thy fortune !) 
The obdurate fates, had determined to shorten, 
At two shots he fell, and I'd say if I dare to, 
That 'twas full forty rods ; but the fact I don't swear to, 
'Twas said so, and pity, it were for the glory 
Of such a grand frolic, to spoil a good stoiy. 

NiMROD." 



THE UNADILLA HUNT ; OR OXFORD CHASE. 

By tlie late Morris S. Miller, of Utica. 

I. 

" Chenang, or Otsego, old Oneida invites, 
To join in the chase for three days and three nights, 
Their rifles are ready, flint, barrel and stock. 
And their pulses strike seconds, as true as a clock, 
Tally ho ! hark away ! see them mount with a grace, 
Huzza! Yoicks ! Tantivy ! see the gods of the chase. 

II. 

" There's Throop ready mounted, upon a fine black, 
And a far fleeter gelding, does Starkweather back, 
Cox MoiTis' bay, full of mettle and bone, 
And gaily Sken Smith's on a dark sorrel roan. 
But the horse of all horses that rivals the day, 
Is Clapp's well-fed charger, and that is a gray. 

III. 

" Their horses thus all of the very best blood. 
They'll make the snow fly, and they'll dash through the 

mud, 
And for hounds, their opinions with thousands they'll back, 
Devereaux, Storrs, or Lansing can't show such a pack. 
There's Nimble, Crack, Frolick, Bounce, Slyboots, and 

South, 
And Primus and Driver too, with their deep mouth. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 489 

IV. 

** Forty stags are brought down, at forty rods how they fall ! 
Forty bucks are made ' venison' by the long shots and ball, 
Forty saddles now smoke on the plentiful board, 
Forty corks are now drawn from Bacchus' hoard. 
Forty sportsmen club-wits, every man in his place. 
Forty stories are told of the grand Oxford chase. 

Old Towser." 

I must relate an incident that took place at Unadil- 
la, in December, 1823, not far from Christmas; as ex- 
citing and probably more dangerous than any of my 
adventures. 

The sleighing was good, and the late Isaac Seelye 
and myself, with Mrs. S., and Mrs. B., concluded to 
improve it, and visit our friends at Unadilla. I took 
my gun, and old Primo, determined to have a deer 
before our return. Our friends, Page and Ogden, and 
some others, were delighted to have one more hunt, be- 
fore the law took effect, prohibiting it. In the morning 
we took the sleigh, and drove some two miles south of 
the river, where the dogs were to be put in the woods. 
It had thawed considerable, making the snow soft and 
wet, which with the rain had raised the river, so that 
where the current was rapid, the ice had broken and 
given away in the middle of the channel. 

The dogs were put out on the mountain, and beat 
about a long time without getting up the game. They 
finally led off' and left us; and as we were getting wet 
with rain, we concluded to return. While getting 
ready, we heard Primo, at a great distance, apparent- 
ly running for the river. I knew from his cry that he 
had game before him, that was making for the river, at 
a run-way half a mile above the bridge. We were told 
that deer, on taking the river at that place, uniformly 



490 REMINISCENCES 

swam down below the bridge, passing under it ; and as 
he was probably nearly a mile before the dog, was most 
likely then in the river. We jumped in the sleigh, and 
Johnson, our driver, ran his horses down the hill to 
the bridge, to reach it before the deer should escape. 

On approaching the bridge, I saw the deer swim- 
ming down the stream below, and jumping out of the 
sleigh, I clambered down the bank on the south side, 
and got on the ice skirting the border, the main channel 
in the middle being open a considerable distance below 
to still water, where it was closed over. The others 
were directed to cross the bridge to the other side, and 
shoot the deer if he came out. 

My running down the ice on the south side turned 
him towards the north shore, where the ice also shelved 
out and prevented him from landing, where he was 
shot, after I had snapped my gun at him several times, 
which having got wet would not go off. Primo had 
followed the deer to the river and put in after him, 
nearly half a mile above the bridge, and came swim- 
ming down the current, occasionally giving tongue, 
which was greatly increased when he heard the rifle. 

I saw him forty rods above the bridge, and very much 
feared he would continue down to where the ice closed 
over, and that he would be drawn under and drowned. 

It was necessary to make a prompt effort to save 
him, for he was a favorite; but how to do it, I really 
did not know. 

I finally began to try the strength of the ice towards 
its edge by stamping on it, and approached very near 
the open current, in which the dog was swimming 
rapidly down the river. 

His attention vi^as attracted by my calling him, and 
as he came swimming down, he turned towards me, 



TSt. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 491 

where I was bn the ice near the edge. My gun was 
a long one, and laying it down on the ice parallel with 
the current, I pushed it as near the water as possible, 
and so near that by resting one hand on the gun, I 
could by lying down, reach the water with the other, 
and as the dog approached me, laid hold of him and 
pulled him out. It was extremely hazardous, for had 
the ice given away, the gun would have gone to the 
bottom, and probably I should have gone with it, and 
been swept under the ice. Those looking on, called to 
me to desist, but I could not see Primo perish without 
an effort to save him. He was much chilled by being in 
the water; but to make amends, he had a supper from 
the offals of the deer, and was allowed to sleep by the 
fire at night. 

The last deer of my shooting at Unadilla, was in 
1825. It was a windy, chilly day. Messrs. Page and 
Ogden stationed me near a creek, and went with their 
dogs to the woods, my dog Primo remaining with me, 
whom I tied with my pocket handkerchief to a willow 
bush, to prevent his escape in case he heard the dogs 
on the hill. A deer at length came dashing towards 
me, running down the creek in its current. I had my 
double barrel, and fired the rifle at him as he was 
approaching, intending to shoot him in the breast, but 
he was running sv/ift and presented but a narrow 
mark, and in my haste 1 missed his breast, but the ball 
struck his hind leg near the upper joint, and the leg 
being extended back, the bone was shattered the whole 
length of it. He continued, and as he passed me at 
four rods distance, his neck was broken by a shot from 
the other barrel. The lock of my gun was blown off 
by the discharge; Primo broke away from the bush 



492 REMINISCENCES 

with the handkerchief about his neck and was on the 
deer immediately. 

That old dog, Primo, was a rare specimen, and 
was respected by all who knew him. He was nearly 
as intelligent as most men, particularly in finding his 
home, when he was far away in a strange country. He 
had gone with me on one occasion to the Black river, 
about sixty miles, where I intended to hunt deer for a few 
days. The snow had melted, and freezing in the eve- 
ning, formed a sharp crust, which I was apprehensive 
would cut his feet, and render him unfit for service. 
He was always averse to riding, but I tried to coax him 
into my wagon, and on his refusal, I laid hold of him 
to put him in. This gave offence, and he very soon 
stole away and returned home, sixty miles, where I 
found him on my return. 

In the fall of 1826, he went with me to Ohio, and 
went on foot all the way. We stopped at Cleveland 
over night, and next day pursued our journey about thir- 
ty-seven miles, when on coming to a piece of bad road, as 
it ran through a forest, I got out of the carriage with my 
rifle, to walk until the road was better. Primo soon 
got up a deer, which after making a turn or two, led 
off to the south till the dog was out of hearing, where 
he remained a long time. I waited in that vicinity 
nearly the whole daj', but as he did not return, I gave 
him up for lost, and pursued my journey ; not without 
hopes that he would come back and take our track and 
follow us. Going on to Norwalk, in Huron county, we 
made a visit, so that it was three weeks before my re- 
turn to Cleveland, where I was happy to find the old 
dog, who had gone back to the house where we had 
stayed, and took possession of the very room m which 
we had slept. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLET. 493 

ustice to his memory requires me to relate a fur- 
ther incident. Hunting foxes on one occasion, he had 
driven a grey fox after a long chase into her burrow, 
where it turned out she had young ones, though I did 
not know it at the time, or they would not have been 
disturbed. 

Tools were obtained to unearth her, and Primo was 
in the hole digging and rendering such service as he 
, could. I had another hound with me, a lazy? bob-tailed, 
•worthless animal, that was of no earthly use except 
to babble, make a tremendous noise, and eat every 
thing eatable that came in his way. 

Primo was industriously engaged, and had worked 
himself far into the burrow, so that he was almost out 
of sight, while Bobtail was lazily reposing himself hard 
by. The first intimation of there being young foxes, 
was a whining of Primo, and then that he carefully 
brought out one of the pups and laid it down without 
harming. I presume he had ascertained by this time that 
the fox he had been pursuing was a female, and that he 
had no desire to injure her ; for it is well known to na- 
turalists that the hound if a male will often be merci- 
ful to the female fox, and I suppose Primo intended to 
be equally merciful to the offspring, for it was not at 
all injured. Bobtail on the present occasion, had none 
of those generous instincts, for as I was about taking 
up the youngster to secure and preserve him, the worth- 
less quadruped who had hitherto been resting himself, 
rushed in and snatching up the young fox devoured him 
in a moment. 

The outrage was so great that I was strongly tempted 
to shoot him on the spot, but as an act of humanity 
spared him from a well merited and ignominious death ; 
not that I had any expectations that he would ever re- 



494 REMINISCENCES 

deem his character by a magnanimous act, or peform a 
commendable deed of any kind. 

With Primo it was different, for he was always 
trusty and faithful, and being so, and resolute too, he 
could be relied vpou in any emergency. 



J3Y LEVI BEARDSLEY. 495 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Hunting Deer on the Maumee. — Several Incidents. — Birt7i-day 
Hunt. — Chase on Horsehack, and two unhorsed. — Cold bath 
for one, — Cutting off, hut not "bruising the Serpent's head." 
— " Coon" Hunt at night. — Habits of the Raccoon and Opos- 
sum. — Fox chase. — Red, gray and black Foxesy of different 
classes. 

Those hunting excursions at Unadilla, have been the 
subject of a long chapter, and the recital of them may 
have fatigued the reader. But as I have had many 
since, on the Maumee river, near Toledo, my readers 
must allow me to draw on my memory for some of 
those more recent adventures. 

On one occasion I was riding my high-spirited 
horse Logan, when hearing the dogs at a great distance, 
a deer dashed into a thick patch of weeds and hazel 
bushes, and concealed himself. Satisfied that the dogs 
were on his track, and that he would break cover as 
they approached, I crowded Logan towards the place 
of concealment, when as they approached, out jumped 
the deer on the other side, but at a considerable 
distance from me. Logan was put in pursuit, and at 
last seeing the deer he seemed to comprehend the busi- 
ness, and went into it with alacrity. The ground was 
prairie, interspersed with oak openings, and some places 
covered with small brush, consequently, not good 
smooth, safe riding. I could gain on the deer, and 
several times got within long rifle range, but before I 
could check up my horse and get him still, the deer 



496 UEMINISCENCES 

would be out of reach. Every one knows that with a 
gun charged with buck shot, you may make a pretty 
good shot, though the deer and horse are both in 
motion; yet for rifle shooting, your horse at least, must 
be still. Pursuing the deer, I saw several of our party 
near where he passed, but they did not fire, and he 
escaped. On coming back to them, Cornelius Shaw, 
late sheriff, whose melancholy death on a California 
steamer has been recently announced, enquired of Capt. 
Pheatt, why he did not shoot the deer? Who replied, 
that he dare not, for "the Judge," meaning myself, was 
so much exposed, that it would have been dangerous. 
Shaw dryly remarked, "the Judge is getting old, it 
could make but little difference to him; I think you 
should have risked it." Not very much in earnest I 
suppose, but about in the same vein as the conversation 
of two sportsmen after dinner, recorded by Fielding in 
Tom Jones, or Joseph Andrews, when one ofiered the 
other a wager, and said he might shoot at his posteriors. 
The wager was taken, (pro forma,) and the " taker" 
said he would pepper him worse than he was ever 
" peppered by Betty Bouncer." 

My oldest son will recollect the first deer he killed, 
as he stood under an oak where I had placed him, in- 
tending to give him the first chance. He had a double 
barreled gun, each charged with buck shot. I had my 
rifle, and took a long rifle shot distance from him, so 
that if the deer came between us, he would probably 
be in reach of both. I saw the deer when he broke 
cover ; he came out beyond where my son was station- 
ed, and on coming within range, and receiving the fire 
from one barrel, turned, and ran back for the wood, 
when the other was discharged with alacrity and pre- 
cision. The deer ran but a short distance; both shots 



BY LEVI BEARDSLElf/ 497 

had taken effect, which ior a new beginner, who is 
generally flurried, was a very fair demonstration; in 
fact, highly creditable. 

The day I was sixty years old, (13th Nov. 1845,) I 
was at Toledo, and Judge Potter agreed to go with me 
after deer. We were up at four o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and found it cloudy, dark, and drizzly. We in- 
tended to go five miles before putting out the dogs. He 
went on horseback, and I took my youngest son in a 
one horse wagon. Before we reached our intended 
place, the dogs took a fresh track where the deer had 
crossed the road, and soon brought him in sight, just 
about sunrise. He finally got off, the dogs at his heels, 
and Potter following on horseback, while I drove as 
fast as possible to reach the runway, where I supposed 
he would cross the road. Just after getting my position, 
he presented himself on the opposite side of the road, 
a good distance off, where he stopped in the hazel 
bushes. 

I delivered a charge of buck shot which I thought 
more sure than the rifle, where the brush and weeds 
were so thick, when he turned and ran a few rods, and 
gave up. This was about eight o'clock in the morning, 
and I would have killed another before nine, had not 
my gun become wet so that each lock missed fire. My 
son's gun was in the same unfortunate predicament, or 
he would have killed the deer, as he was standing bv 
me, when it stopped near us. 

A party came out after breakfast to join us, my eld- 
est son among them, who shot one, and in the course 
of the day we killed four altogether. 

Another time four or five of us went out on horse- 
back, my second son being of the party, and Judge 
Potter. Mr. Goodsell, and I think Dr. Ackley being the 
others. 



498 REMINISCENCES 

We had three or four good hounds, and went about 
four miles before putting them out. My companions 
knew where the deer were most likely to be found, and 
their usual runways. 

They pointed out to me a position where I stationed 
myself, and shortly afterwards a deer came bounding 
through the thick brush, and as he leaped into a narrow 
path, I gave him a shot from one barrel, and before 
he was fairly out, another from the other; both of which 
took effect, and brought him down on the further side 
of the road. The dogs soon came in, and after dressing 
and hanging him up, we concluded to go in search of 
another, first giving the hounds a good meal from the 
offals of the slain deer. We were hunting on prairie 
ground, where there were occasionally bunches of wil- 
low and other shrubs, with a belt of timber land skirt- 
ing in the distance. There were many places on the 
prairie, where the ground was slightly depressed, which 
from recent rains were covered with water ; sometimes 
an acre or more, that appeared like a small pond, 
through which we rode without difficulty. 

We did not proceed far before the dogs got up a 
large buck, that led off to the forest, and soon doubled 
to come back, and run the length of the timber land. 
We all pushed ahead hoping to shoot him as he passed, 
each striving to ride faster than the others. We 
separated as we rode forward, and Goodsell being far- 
thest to the left was so near, that as the deer came 
bounding by at a long shot distance, he let drive at him, 
and was instantly thrown from his horse, which recoiled 
and started back at the report, throwing his rider over 
his head. 

My son was mounted on an active high-mettled 
Indian or French pony, full of life, but not well bro- 
ken, nor under perfect control. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 499 

He and Judge Potter, and myself, aiter Goodsell's 
mishap were riding full tilt towards the runway of the 
deer, each one whipping his horse and trying to get 
near enough for a shot. 

We had rode through several ponds of water, por- 
tions of them being but little more than fetlock deep, and 
others up to the knees of our horses, but had uniform- 
ly found good substantial ground underneath. 

The deer being in sight and the dogs not far behind, 
with open mouths and full throats, added greatly to the 
excitement, so that we dashed forward without much 
regard to water or other impediments. The Indian 
pony rode by my son had become greatly excited, and 
"Was making fine head-way, when on coming to a pond 
of water which he had barely entered, where he found 
the ground more miry than he expected or desired; 
and as his fore feet slightly sunk into the mud, he 
stopped suddenly, and immediately sprang back, throw- 
ing his rider a rod and a half over his head sprawling 
into the water. The pony pricked up his ears and 
trotted off, and then shook himself, right glad no doubt 
to have thus ridded himself of his rider, while Ae, 
picking up his gun, waded out to dry land, where 
he shook himself, to throw off a portion of the dirty 
water, with which he was dripping. 

While this was going on, the deer ran past the whole 
of us and escaped, for neither Potter or myself could 
get within rifle range. The pony was caught after 
considerable coquetry on his part, and my son at last 
mounted ; when in due lime the hounds returned and we 
started in another direction. 

Presently the dogs gave tongue vehemently, but 
seemed to be stationary, when on approaching them 
we saw them at a respectful distance from a large 



500 REMINISCENCES 

skunk, and he was slowly walking away from them 
with his white tail up over his back, and his hair stand- 
ing on end, so that fie appeared nearly twice as large 
and tall as he really was. He was marching off with 
that firm stepping, strutting gait, for which this animal 
is distinguished, and which, will be better understood 
by those who have seen him move off in this way than 
I can describe it. He had not yet emitted his offensive 
odor, but was prepared to do so whenever the dogs 
should attack him, or he should be otherv^^ise disturbed. 

It is well known that a hound, however keen-scent- 
ed he may be, finds his olfactory powers paralyzed 
whenever he is besmeared with the disgusting liquid 
which the skunk emits; because the pungency of that 
odor is so insinuating, that he can smell nothing else. 
Hence we were desirous to prevent them from coming 
in contact with him, as we hoped to get up another deer. 
Hurrying my horse along, I got between them and the 
skunk, and ordered them peremptorily to keep back; 
then as he went purring and sputtering off, and had 
got about three rods from me, 1 drew up my rifle 
and fired at him ; but either from the stirring of the 
horse, or that deceived from his hair and tail being up, 
I did not hold quite low enough, and instead of shoot- 
ing him in his stern as intended, I cut off his tail close 
to the root. One of the others then fired with more ac- 
curacy and killed him. 

He emitted his liquid the moment the rifle was dis- 
charged, the scent of which was diffused around, 
.but the dogs were kept back, and we were so far off 
that the only inconvenience experienced was from the 
odor, and not from the liquid itself. We were not able 
to start another deer, and this was the last exploit of the 
day, for we soon reached the one we had slain, and 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 501 

having packed him on the most gentle horse, we carried 
him out to the public highway, where he was placed in 
a wagon going to town ; and was safely deposited in 
the American, at Toledo. 

Next day he was served up, and contributed largely 
to make up a venison dinner for the whole of those at 
the table ; among whom were, of course, the sportsmen 
who were out the day before. 

This being my first performance in the hunting line, 
on the Maumee, though not the first in the order in 
which I have related those exploits, it was deemed 
a fitting occasion to put me in for the " trimmings," and 
champaign was distributed freely. The boarders at 
the house having partaken of the venison, and of course 
of the drinkables, were not slow in furnishing their 
share of beverage on such a joyous occasion; so that 
on the whole, the dinner went off well, and all se- 
parated with kind feelings, and an earnest desire that 
the next hunt should be equally successful, and the 
feast as creditably sustained. 

At another time, while hunting deer in Ohio, I saw 
in the weeds on the prairie ground, a large snake, glid- 
ing rapidly along, but not being pursued, he stopped 
about two rods from me, where he seemed prepared to 
start on a race to avoid harm, keeping his head about 
a foot from the ground. There he lay in plain sight; 
his sharp forked tongue darting out, and his keen eye 
glancing about, as if to detect the slightest indication 
of danger. 

I did not unhorse to fulfil the scripture injunction, to 
" bruise the serpent's head," for I thought it extremely 
doubtful whether T should succeed if it was attempted, 
as those reptiles run amazingly fast when they choose to 
dart away among weeds and shrubs. I thought it would 



602 REMINISCENCES 

be a creditable performance to decapitate him with my 
rifle; and at that distance I was sure I could do it, if 
my gun did not hang fire, and if I could for a moment 
control my horse so that he should not stir. In fact, I 
would have wagered five to one, that at three rods I 
could have cut off a wire; so checking up my horse till 
he was motionless as a statue, I took a hasty, close, but 
steady aim, and clipped off his head with the rifle ball 
Hs neatly as it could have been done with the best 
SheiHeld blade in the hands of an experienced operator. 

The Indians have acquired considerable reputation 
for their supposed skill and accuracy in shooting the 
rifle, but I think much more than they are entitled to. 

Our American riflemen I think far superior to the 
Indian; and this will be conceded by those familiar 
with the performances of each. I have shot with sev- 
eral of them, and have never found one whom I could 
not beat twice out of three times; and that too, with his 
own rifle. 

As a hunter, the Indian is excelled by no one for 
craft and cunning ; as he understands the habits of all 
the beasts of the forest, and knowing them, resorts to 
skilful stratagems to circumvent the animal he desires 
to kill or capture. 

Those "coon" hunts that we used to have in Ohio, 
were not without interest, and ought not to be passed 
over without notice. 

The raccoon is a sly, cunning animal, and scarcely 
ever shows himself in the day time ; but he is an errant 
thief, and a great night walker, and hence those who 
wish to take him must go at night. 

The best season of the year for that kind of sport, 
is in the months of September and October, when the 
moon shines so as to shed sufiicent light to aid the pe- 



BY LEVI EEARDSLEY. 503 

destrian, as he threads the thickets in the neighborhood 
of corn fields. The month of October is preferable, 
for the youngsters by that time liave acquired a growth 
sufficient to give good sport, and to be worth catching. 

The raccoon resorts to corn fields, and delights in 
pulling down and feeding on the newly half glazed 
corn ; and he is also passionately fond of resorting to 
swampy thickets, where he can hunt along in a slight 
water course for such things as he prefers; nor is he 
backward in occasionally robbing a hen roost. 

To hunt him with success, you must know his 
modes and habits of life, as well as the places where 
he is most likely to be found; and this remark is ap- 
plicable to all animals, for no one can be an expert 
hunter, unless he knows those modes and habits. 

In Ohio, a coon hunt always implies "a smart 
chance," as they say at the west, of taking one or more 
opossums; for like the raccoon, this animal is most 
active at night; and is also noted as a "chicken thief," 
as well as a great cheat. 

In Columbus, when I lived there, I suppose there 
were nearly one thousand negroes, a large proportion of 
whom came from the slave states, and I don't remember 
one of the kind, who was not passionately fond of both 
the raccoon and opossum. 

A '' coon bake" and "possum roast" seemed the 
heau ideal with them of a good feast, and they were not 
very much out of the way; for a fine, fat raccoon, when 
stuffed and baked, is rather inviting to almost any one, 
particularly to sportsmen. 

While the possum, when roasted, is in flavor some- 
what similar to a roasted pig, the raccoon has more of 
the wild gamey flavor than the opossum ; but either, or 
both, when well cooked, are not to be despised, when 



504 REMINISCENCES 

To gratify some of my hired men, and the boys in 
the neighborhood ; and, perhaps a httle pre-disposed for 
the sport, I sometimes went out with them on their night 
expeditions. 

Those excursions were not altogether without their 
annoyances ; for we frequently had to go through mud 
and water, as well as thickets, and to clamber over logs 
and fallen timber in the dark. 

A gentleman, now of the city of New York, whom I 
meet every day in Wall street, was then a resident of 
Columbus, and went with me one evening, and he, I 
know, will corroborate every word I say in regard to 
fatigue and annoyances. 

In hunting coons at night, particularly if the moon 
shines, it is best to have a rifle with the party ; though 
generally this is omitted, and nothing but an axe and 
flambeaux are taken. 

If you have a rifle, the animal may frequently be 
shot from the topmost branches of the large, high trees, 
and thus save cutting them down, or climbing to shake 
him off. 

By looking carefully into the top of the tree, particu- 
larly when 5^ou can look towards the moon, the game 
may be seen among the branches, and with the rifle 
may frequently be brought down by a second or third 
shot, if not the first. 

A shot gun would be best, from its throwing its charge 
at a wider range, were it not from the fact that the fur 
is so thick and woolly, that unless the shot were very 
coarse, an old coon would carry oiTall that could be got 
into his carcase from half a dozen discharges ; while a 
rifle ball has a mighty soothing influence, and generally 
produces a quietude, in case you can get it through the 
body of your interesting customer. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 505 

An experienced dog is absolutely necessary, and he 
must have seen service in coon hunting, to be useful ; 
for, though many dogs will bark and babble on the 
track, yet there is no relying on their cr}'-, unless you 
have one of sufficient experience to counteract the cun- 
ning of the animal you wish to take. There is nothing 
more common with him than to climb a tree, and then, 
by running on the branches, to go from one to another, 
and perhaps to several, where he will conceal himself 
in the top, or perhaps run down and make off to another. 
The young, inexperienced dogs, on coming to the tree 
where he ascended, are very noisy and jump up its side 
as if they were sure he was almost in reach ; but the 
old dog is not to be deceived by the yelping of the 
youngsters. He examines the tree, to be sure that the 
coon went up, and then examines the others to ascertain 
whether he has come down ; and often makes a circuit 
of many rods, to learn whether he has descended and 
led off. When 5^ou have such a dog, never mind the 
cry of babbling pups, for they only deceive you. 

We went out one fine moon-shining night in October, 
accompanied by the gentleman from Columbus, to whom 
I have referred, and another of his companions. Several 
of my hired men went along, and, on reaching the corn 
field, a large coon was soon driven up a tree standing 
on the border of a swamp. This was cut down, for we 
had no gun with us, and then the coon scampered off 
through the thick brush and ran up another small tree. 
One of the men ascended and shook him off, when he 
was soon killed by the dogs. 

They struck another track that led ofF through wet, 
forest land, over fallen trees, and part of the way on 
fences, the dogs keeping up a constant cry, till at last, 
after slowly wending their way and tracing, out the trail. 



506 REMINISCENCES 

they became stationary, where we expected to find ano- 
ther coon. We hurried along by our torch-hghts as fast 
as we could, and found them barking at an opossum 
that had ran up a sapUng. He was soon secured ; but, 
with the craft and cheating of his kind, pretended to be 
dead, though he was not in the slightest degree injured. 
To test him, some one applied a torch to his nose, 
which he entirely disregarded ; another poured some 
raw brand}'" into his mouth ; and another pricked him 
with a knife : but he would heed neither, nor would 
he manifest the least symptom of life, except a spas- 
modic action by contracting his tail, as he was carried 
by that appendage, after knocking him on the head. 

We got up another coon that ran into the mill-pond 
to swim across ; but the dogs were in so soon after him, 
that he returned back to the shore he had started from, 
where they caught and killed him. On coming near 
the pond, the man who carried the possum threw him 
down in the road, when the wily quadruped, notwith- 
standing his previous hard usage, and the death that he 
had so well counterfeited, began to make off, and was 
fi.nall}'- killed by a blow from the axe. The bank where 
we approached the mill-pond was high and steep, and 
one of the party in his haste to get down to the water's 
edge, mis-stayed and rolled thirt}'' feet down the steep 
bank, where it was rough and nearly perpendicular. 
Those in attendance were alarmed, and enquired whe- 
ther he was hurt ? To which he responded by enquir- 
ing, " where is the coon ?" 

We reached home about twelve o'clock at night, 
very well jaded out, when, after taking supper, we 
separated ; and the next day we had several applications 
for the coons and possums from the darkies, who were 
highly gratified on receiving the desired boon. 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 507 

In the vicinity of Columbus there were but few red 
foxes, and I saw but one during the four years that I 
resided there. The gray fox, though not so plenty as 
the red one is in New York, was more abundant there 
than the red ; but he never ran long, and of course 
afforded but little sport. He will very soon take to his 
burrow, or climb a tree to get away from the dogs. 

The red fox, though not so much of a racer as the 
black, gives fine play, and is distinguished not only for 
fleetness of foot, great bottom for a long race, but for 
craft and cunning to circumvent and avoid his pursuers. 

Major Webber, in his recenth'' published book, en- 
titled the "Hunter Naturalist," rather comes to the con- 
" elusion that we have but two kinds of foxes in America, 
the red and gray ; and that the cross and black foxes 
are of the same class with the red, only differing in 
color, as a litter of kittens among cats, and pups among 
dogs, are of different color. As an evidence of his posi- 
tion, he refers to an instance, where, among a litter of 
young foxes, they were found of each color, red and 
black, and others of a shade between the two. 

I do not dispute the latter fact, but differ with him 
in his conclusions. The different colors may have result- 
ed from a cross between the red and black fox ; for there 
is no doubt that they intermix and cross the breed : or 
it may result from the same class having young of dif- 
ferent color. But it seems to me there is nearly as 
much difference in the running of the two, as there is 
between the latter and the large gray wolf of the north- 
ern states ; or as there is between him and the small 
wolves of the western prairies. 

The black fox will frequently lead off twent}'' miles, 
while the red, though he will run a long time, generally 
plays round within a few miles of his home, and it is 



508 REMINISCENCES 

difficult to drive him off any considerable distance. I 
think the gray, red and black are three distinct classes, 
but they are all of them of the reynard famil}'-, and dis- 
tinguished for their craftiness. 

The red fox at Columbus that I have spoken of, was 
captured in the fall of the year, about twelve miles west 
of the cit}'-, near the great Darby Creek, where he was 
taken from his burrow without injury, and being bagged, 
\vas brought in to make sport on another occasion. He 
had often been chased, and was well known in his 
neighborhood, but till now had been so fortunate as to 
elude his pursuers. 

He was an " old he one," and the winter before had 
managed to drown two good dogs that were pursuing' 
him, by crossing himself on the weak, thin ice on the 
creek, which, though it would bear him, he knew would 
not bear the large hounds that were on his trail, — and 
they, like fools, attempting to cross, broke through, and 
were drawn under the ice below and droAvned. 

On being taken, he was locked in a large room, 
where he was fed and kept for a week, till the appoint- 
ed time to let him out for a run. 

The sportsmen were notified that a "bagged" fox 
would be put out, and on the da}'' appointed, they came 
with their hounds for ten or fifteen miles round about. 
More than sixty men assembled on horseback, and 
probably as many more, of men and boys, on foot. Up- 
wards of thirty-six hounds were in attendance, the most 
of them of the large fine Virginia breed. 

Reynard was taken out in a bag about three miles 
west of Columbus, where he was turned loose in Mr. 
SuUivant's large woods, and a small dog of the whiffit, 
or fiste kind, was set after him to frighten him by bark- 
ins:. We 2;ave him more than half an hour's starting 



BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 509 

time, and during this half hour, the hounds were very 
clamorous, for they all knew that something of the kind 
was on foot. 

In due time they were brought to the woods, where 
they soon struck his track, and then were off on his 
trail, doubling from one part of the woods to another, 
till they finally crossed the national road, and led off to 
the southwest towards the great D?arby Creek, for the 
fox had sagacity enough to make for his former home. 

The horsemen pursued as fast as possible, hurrying 
through the woods, over all impediments, and several 
were unhorsed, being thrown entirely over the heads of 
their animals. I was mounted on my horse Logan, 
who was fond of that kind of sport, and of course was 
ridden without a martingale, that his head might be the 
more free on his leaping over logs and fences. Then 
with a cap tied down snugly under the chin, and boots 
drawn up over a strong pair of pantaloons, I was pre- 
pared to make my way through the open forest, among 
brush or brambles. 

Reynard gave fine play, and had almost reached 
his old ground, when the dogs overtook and killed him, 
about twelve miles from the city. 

We came out of the woods to a small tavern some 
ten miles west of Columbus, where we refreshed our- 
selves and prepared to return home. 

Before starting, a man was posted off on horseback 
with the dead fox, noosed in a rope, who was directed 
on reaching the large meadows in the Scioto Valley, to 
drag the fox through the meadows and fields towards 
the city, so that we might have a "drag hunt," and 
have the national road to course upon, while the hounds 
kept through the fields hard by. They took the 
trail, and the whole pack dashed forward at a smash- 



510 REMINISCENCES BY LEVI BEARDSLEY. 

ing rate, in full cry; while the horsemen kept the road 
and came in, full tilt, with whip in hand, and cheering 
the dogs with their shouts. 

A considerable number of sportsmen dined togeth- 
er ; and one of them, a Virginian, who had former- 
ly kept upwards of thirty magnificent hounds of the 
Virginia "yellow tan" breed, but had got reduced 
down to fifteen, offered to give me the whole if I would 
take them. He said game had become so scarce, that 
there was no use in keeping the dogs ; that he would 
not separate them, or sell them ; nor would he give 
them to one who could not appreciate them, and who 
would not use them well. They were beautiful dogs, 
and remarkably well broke, as well as fleet of foot. 

As with the Virginia breed of horses, so with their 
hounds; great pains have been taken to keep the blood 
pure, and they have the finest dogs, I suppose, in the 
United States. 

Those hounds on Long Island, or on the low level 
lands in New Jersey, would be invaluable to a sports- 
man. 

It is quite time to bring this yarn to a close ; and I 
will not aggravate my reader by a further recital, or in- 
flict another coon or fox hunt story for his perusal. It 
is quite apparent, as the reader will perceive, that I 
have been extravagantly fond of field sports ; and if 
sentimentalists are good authority, I have much to 
answer for, in reference to these delinquencies. The 
propensity, whether right or wrong, is still predominant, 
and I should be very likely to add to former transgres- 
sions should favorable opportunities again occur. I am 
sure I could hardly resist, nor do I suppose I should try 
very hard to do so. 



511 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Habits and Intelligence of Animals. 

To tliose who have closely observed the habits and 
intelligence of animals, many indications havi^ been 
noted that appear like an exhibition of reasoning facul- 
ties. Call it instinct, or craf*, or whatever else you 
please, still a great degree of" cunning is manifested, 
coupled with circumstances very nearly approaching to 
reasoning, if not absolutely so. 

Take the fox hound as an instance, who often be- 
comes as subtle and expert in circumventing the fox, as 
the latter is crafty in avoiding his pursuer. 

An experienced hound after ascertaining from fre- 
quent trials the usual course of the fox on a given por- 
tion of ground, will resort to devices to circumvent him, 
which appear like the intelligence of school boys. 

Those hounds that I formerly owned, were expert 
fox hunters, and I used frequently to go with them to 
Windmill Hill, in Cherry Valley; which, with a large 
forest adjacent to it, was much frequented by foxes. 
The hill was high, and narrow at top, from whence the 
land on each side, (east and west,) descended. It was 
more than half a mile in length. The fox when start- 
ed, would generally course several times round the hill, 
playing some distance before the dogs, about half way 
down the hill on one side ; and on doubling, would take 
the other side about the same distance from the top. 
In this way he would frequently make a run of a mile 
or two, north or south, passing on the sides of the hill 



612 HABITS AND 

lengthwise, several times before leaving it entirely. 
This was his usual run-way ; and the dogs on 
learning it, instead of running the whole course and 
keeping his track, would often leave it on one side, and 
pass up over to the other, with a view of cutting him off, 
and taking the track nearer to him. If reynard in the 
meantime had left the hill, they of course would loose 
his track by leaving it and running across, and then 
would have to look it up the best way they could; but 
they very often were the gainers by this device, and 
would save a half mile or more of running, and gain 
so much on the fox. 

Almost every man familiar with fox hunting, if ob- 
serving, has witnessed such performances. Now the 
fact being so, how is it to be accounted for? Simply 
that the dog knows it is shorter to run up, and take the 
track on the other side of the hill, than to run the whole 
length of it, and then come back to the place where he 
strikes it again; precisely as the boy knows that it is 
shorter to run through the barn and come out on the 
other side, than to run around it. 

Now take the deer, who is by no means as crafty as 
the fox or dog. Why does he when pursued, so fre- 
quently take the brook and run in the water, often a 
half mile or more? The object is to conceal his track, 
and to leave no scent by which he can be followed. 
Then comes the question, how does he know that he 
makes a track, or leaves a scent, by which his pursuers 
follow him? Instinct, perhaps, teaches him. 

The horse soon learns to open his stable door, by 
pulling out the pin by which it is fastened. This he ac- 
quires from observing how others open it. Every one 
familiar with horses have observed this, and other 
vidences of intelligence and observation. 



INTELLIGfENCE OF ANIMALS. 613 

I have known horses and cattle who would break 
into forbidden fields at night, and to conceal their de- 
predations, would be out in the morning, when they 
would assume an unusually honest look. Watch them 
at night, and you would detect their maraudings. 

No one who ever hunted the squirrel, but has no- 
ticed his devices for deception. Nothing is more com- 
mon than to see him run to a tree, and ascend it on the 
side next to you for a considerable distance, then work 
himself round till out of sight on the other side ; when 
he will run down and scamper off to another, keeping 
the first in range between you and himself, so that you 
shall not see him when he makes off. The object of 
this is to deceive you, and make you think he is on the 
tree you saw him ascend ; when, in fact, he has prac- 
tised a cheat, and is in the top of another, often many 
rods distant. 

The fox has always been noted for his cunning, 
and fraudulent devices. When pursued by dogs, he 
frequently gets on the fence where the snow is blown 
off, and will keep on it a great distance, and on leaving 
it will make a long leap from it, that his track shall not 
be discovered by the dogs, who are slowly following 
by the slight scent left on the rails. At other times he 
will run into a flock of sheep, and keep with them for 
a given time, that his tracks may be trodden out by 
theirs, and the hounds thus be put at fault. 

Those who have trapped for him, know how 
necessary it is to conceal the trap, and to cover with 
such light substances as shall disguise, or prevent his 
smelling it ; and j'et he will frequently dig it out so far 
as to expose, and thereby comprehend it ; and some^ 
limes spring it by thrusting a stick upon it. They have 
even been caught by the nose with steel, traps, in con- 



514 HABITS AND 

sequence of using too short a stick to spring the trap. 
That they will counterfeit death for a long time, when 
they wish to deceive, is a fact well authenticated. I 
will mention a remarkable instance : 

I had once been pursuing reynard for a long time, 
and his foot prints in the snow showed him to be a 
large fellow, and, no doubt, an " old one." The dogs 
finally drove him from Windmill Hill to a ledge of 
rocks, where, running into a hole between the courses 
of lime rock, too narrow for the dogs to enter, he fancied 
himself quite secure, as he undoubtedly was, so far as 
the dogs were concerned. On arriving at the hole, the 
dogs were digging and barking, but made no headway 
towards capturing the fox. The seam between the 
rocks extended several rods, and the earth resting on 
them, and extending over the seam, two or three inches 
deep, was frozen. With an iron bar I broke through 
this layer of earth, till I found where reynard lay, a 
rod or two from where he went in. The frozen earth 
over him was removed, and some of it fell in upon him, 
partly covering him. The edges of the rock were 
broken away, so that 1 could see him ; but he would 
not move. I thought he had gone in as far as the nar- 
row seam would permit, and had got fastened between 
the rocks. On searching, I soon found which way his 
head was, and applied a stick to his face and nose, 
punching and irritating him to ascertain whether he 
was alive ; but he gave not-the least indication that he 
perceived or cared for the stick. Then, breaking away 
the rocks so that I could get my hand between them, I 
seized him by his long nose with my left hand, and 
held him at Last fifteen minutes, till one of my com- 
panions broke away the rocks with the bar, so much as 
to make room to take him out. During all the time I 



INTELLIGENCE OF ANIMALS. 515 

held him, he gave no sign of life, nor could he be 
induced to do so, till one of my companions who held, 
and kept back the dogs, allowed them to come forward 
and seize him ; when he immediately threw off the 
disguise and fought resolutely, but was soon killed. 

Now he evidently was practising this deceit, in 
hopes that I would take him out and throw him down, 
when he would have shown a light pair of heels, and 
been off in a moment. 

I have known the opossum, who is celebrated for 
playing false, to practice deceits, even beyond this ; so 
also the coon. The opossum, of all animals, is prob- 
ably the most inveterate cheater ; so that to deceive, is, 
in common parlance, " to play possum." 

In my last chapter has been related an instance 
of his deception, as well as various devices of the 
raccoon, which are but little inferior in point of saga- 
city. 

My friend McKenstry, who keeps one of the best 
hotels at Sandusky city, Ohio, who is a keen sports- 
man, and a highly intelligent and respectable man, re- 
lates circumstances in regard to three hounds, that he 
witnessed at Little Falls, Herkimer county, when he re- 
sided there several years ago. A brief account of this 
was published two or three years since, in the " New- 
York Spirit of the Times," and was substantially as 
follows : 

McKenstry and Matthew Talcott, now deceased, 
who was a brother of the late Attorney General Tal- 
cott, had been out hunting, and taken with them Mc- 
Kenstry's hound. As they came into the village on 
their return, a large cur dog belonging to a villager, 
sprang over the fence, and laying hold of the hound, 
got him down, and bit and shook him severely. The 



515 HABITS AND 

cur was finally beaten off, and the hound went along 
home; but from some indications observed by Talcott, 
who was a close scrutinizer in matters of that kind, he 
thought the dog intended to run off, and so informed 
McKenstry, and advised him to shut or tie him up. 
This advice was not heeded ; but the dog was watch- 
ed, and soon after leaving home, was followed by Mc- 
Kenstry and Talcott, to satisfy themselves what he was 
after, and where he was going. He trotted along some 
two miles, and stopped at a house where two hounds 
were kept, with whom he often hunted. Arriving there, 
he fondled around them, and by intimations understood 
by them, the two were induced to follow him. The 
three returning to the village on a good round trot, 
heads and tails up, went directly to the yard where the 
cur was, and jumping over the fence, fell upon him, and 
never let go their hold till they had killed him. 

Now, of the truth of this, I have no doubt. And 
how can it be accounted for, except that the hound 
knew he was not a match for the cur, but thought with 
the assistance of the two others of his own kind, they 
would be more than a match for him ; and hence in- 
duced them to make common cause with him, against 
their common adversary? That although one could 
not resist him, the three could ; and so the result proved. 

No one doubts that dogs have tenacious memories, 
for they will remember you for many years. So have 
horses. Birds must have the faculty of memory in an 
eminent degree; for some of them will come back an- 
nually from the south, many years in succession, and 
repair and occupy the nest of preceding years. These 
faculties in beasts and birds, whatever you choose to 
call them, are strange and mysterious, indicating intel- 
ligence, and many of them approaching close to reason- 



INTELLIGENCE OF ANIMALS. r*^ 

ing, if* not properly designated as such. Man with all 
his boasted wisdom, is in many respects not greatly 
superior to the beasts that perish. 

Many circumstances and incidents will occur to 
those who have been close observers of the habits and 
instincts of animals, that indicate much sagacity and 
cunning; which if not properly resulting from reason- 
ing faculties, come so near, that the shade of difference 
can hardly be distinguished. 



site's 



CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 



CHAPTER XXVTIL 

Re/lections in regard to Capital Punishment, in connection 
toitli the Execution of Professor Webster. 

Professor Webster has suffered the extreme penalty 
of the law — while penning this paragraph, the boys are 
crying " Extra Herald ; Execution of Doct. Webster." 

The melancholy fate of Webster is a sad exhibition 
of the weakness and wickedness of poor human na- 
ture. He has "gone to his last account," to meet the 
victim of unbridled passion. 

The laws have been vindicated in the face of strong 
prejudices, that, for a time, seized upon and pervaded 
the public mind ; while the stern integrity of the jury, the 
unwavering firmness of the court and civil authorities, 
are highly creditable and afford incontestible evidence, 
that no man, however eminent in station, is superior to 
law. Much is said in opposition to capital punishment, 
which its opponents denounce as "judicial murder." " It 
"s contrary to natural law " say they, to take life. The 
Supreme Being alone, can give life, and as man cannot 
give, he has no right to destroy. " Shut the culprit up 
in solitary confinement," it is said, and then he will be 
pointed at as an object too bad and too dangerous to be 
tolerated in society, while he will have space for repent- 
ance. Again it is flippantly said, " the object of punish- 
ment is to reform and make better the ofTender, instead 
of subjecting him to suffering." A sickly mawkish 
sensibility seems to have taken hold of the minds of 



CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 519 

many good men, which perverts and misleads their 
judgment. 

How is it contrary to " natural law," to inflict the 
death penalty on the murderer ? If I am attacked and 
my life put in danger, the opponents to capital punish- 
ment agree that I am justified in killing my adversary. 
But how is this? I am destroying life, which I can 
neither give or restore ! I am justified because my 
life was in danger ; and I had the same right to slay 
my assailant, that I would have to kdl a wild beast 
that attacked me. Precisely so in relation to society. 
The murderer has proved himself an unsafe member. 
The man who " of malice aforethought" slays a human 
being, cannot be suffered to remain at large, because 
of his dangerous propensities. Community is not safe. 
The public good, the public safety, requires that he 
should be cut off; and then it becomes a question of 
expediency, upon which the law-making power must 
decide whether life shall be required, or whether he 
shall be restrained of his liberty. Men may and will 
differ when expediency is the question. I am now 
speaking of the right of society to punish with death : 
and I hold that they have the same right as they have 
to imprison or banish. The murderer has foreited all 
his rights, and society may inflict the utmost penalty, 
or restrain his liberty, just as shall seem most expedi- 
ent, or may remit or pardon altogether. 

To say the object of punishment is to reform the 
guilty, is expressing but half its object. It is not only 
to reform ; but it is to inflict pain, or disgrace, or both, 
to make the culprit desist for the future, under an ap- 
prehension of suffering ; and to make him an example 
that shall serve as a " terror to evil doers." 

But it is said solitary confinement, (solitary and 



520 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 

perpetual,) where the convict may reflect, and repent ; is 
more humane, and in accordance with the march of 
civihzation, and melioration of the criminal code. Do 
the advocates for solitary confinement fully understand 
what the}'- ask for? They surely would not advocate 
the keeping of a prisoner with a view of inflicting daily 
or weekly tortures, and yet solitary confinement is but 
little, if any short of it. The general result in reference 
to those in solitary confinement, is an early loss of in- 
tellect, and rapid decay of the system, that soon puts 
a period to human existence. 

Now I will not discuss tha question which is most 
merciful or cruel to the prisoner, to execute him, or 
subject him to an imprisonment, that shall soon termi- 
nate his existence, with the probable previous destruc- 
tion of mind and reasoning faculties. In my judg- 
ment, death is far preferable. A strong objection to 
substituting imprisonment for capital punishment, ari- 
ses — First, from the difficulty of keeping the prisoner in 
perpetual imprisonment. 

Society would not feel safe were the murderer at 
large ; or if it was believed that he might be at large 
by escape, executive clemenc}', or commutation of pu- 
nishment. 

In the state of New York, the pardoning power is 
vested in the governor by the constitution ; and before 
abrogating the death penalty, public sentiment, I appre- 
hend, would require an amendment that should place 
the exercise of that prerogative under rigid restrictions. 
A second consideration is this. We know that although 
the laws of nearly all countries punish the murderer 
with death, yet in cases of great aggravation, it is diffi- 
cult to restrain popular impulses, which prompt to im- 



CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 521 

mediate punishment, and that too, without waiting for 
the fornns of law. 

Take our own state, and the most sober, sedate, 
and staid part of society, (and law abiding too,) and let 
an aggravated murder be committed, perhaps a wife, 
or daughter, after other flagrant indignities, and let the 
law be changed so that the murderer can only be im- 
prisoned after a legal trial, and what would probably 
be the result ? In four cases out of five, the offended 
party would invoke the aid of Judge Lynch, to do 
speedy execution; or he would take the law in his own 
hands and slay the murderer himself. This, may be 
said, would be from a spirit of revenge, which I am 
willing to grant; but it is in accordance with the 
promptings of nature, and when we legislate and make 
laws, we must make them in reference to the predomi- 
nant feelings in society. 

It seems to me that such would be the natural 
tendency, and that laws would be violated and set at de- 
fiance by the injured party, whenever an aggravated case 
should occur. But it is said that executions are demoral- 
izing, and tend to harden and debase the feelings of the 
lookers on, when public; and that neither public or 
private examples have the effect of restraining crime. 
In reference to the public execution of criminals, I free- 
ly grant the influence is pernicious; and hence, those 
who are doomed to suffer, should meet their fate where 
but few should be witnesses. 

I do not, however, admit that capital punishment 
as some contend, loses its terrors on the masses, and 
rather tends to increase crime; nor do I admit that it 
fails to restrict the number of homicides that would 
otherwise take place. 

One thing is very certain, and that is, that where 



522 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 

the murderer is executed, he will not commit further 
offences. Society, therefore, is rid of one dangerous 
member, who is thus cut off. 

To say that imprisonment would be equally salutary 
in its effects, is an assertion, that may, or may not be 
true. To say that it would be more salutary, and that 
it would restrict crime, I should very much doubt; for it 
seems to me, that the penalty that is most dreaded by a 
vast majority of mankind, is the most likely to restrain 
offences. And what has so much terror for poor hu- 
man nature, as the deprivation of life? "What will 
not a man give in exchange for his life?" 

On looking over and reviewing this question, I am 
strengthened in my impressions by what has recently 
taken place in California. 

There they have not only tried men by self-constitut- 
ed courts, emanating from popular impulses, but have 
repeatedly and speedily inflicted the death penalty. 
The safety of society required it, and popular sentiment 
justified and sustained those proceedings. 

The organization and action of the self-organized 
vigilance committee of San Francisco, where the trial 
of offenders was speedy, and the execution of the crimi- 
nal not only certain, but summary in the highest de- 
gree, had an effect in restraining crime, as all, I sup- 
pose, will now admit, far beyond any lenient measures 
that could have been adopted. 

Here, the question became practical ; and in addi- 
tion to sustaining the action of self constituted courts 
and committees, public sentiment required laws more 
stringent and sanguinary, which were enacted, extend- 
ing the death penalty to other offences than murder. 

The state of society there, and the practical ques- 
tions growing out of it in reference to crime and pun- 



CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 523 

ishment is worth a thousand theories put forward in 
books or public journals. 

Human nature is very much the same in all ages, 
and in every country ; and proceedings that would 
restrict crime in one region would be very likely to 
have the same effect in others similarly situated. 

What I have said dius far, has been without refer- 
ence to scripture injunctions, where the death penalty 
is not only recognized, but expressly enjoined ; and 
those who look to the holy book as authority, will find 
abundant proof of its early enactment and uniform in- 
fliction. 

So also may it be said that all nations in all ages of 

the world, have re2;arded the murderer as an enemy to 

° . . . . •"-%■ 

mankind, and have required life for life. If it has not 

been so universally, the exceptions are only exceptions 
to a general rule of action and belief. 

The murder of Doct. Parkman, as well as the pu- 
nishment of his murderer, should not be lost in its influ- 
ences on community. It should be a solemn and im- 
pressive warning to creditors, not to oppress and drive 
a needy man to desperation. Recollect that debtors 
have feelings and rights, as well as creditors. It is an 
easy matter to take a debtor by the throat, and tell him 
" pay me that thou owest ;" but it is not always safe 
or expedient. Doct. Webster, though poor in property, 
had a proud spirit. He had a family depending on 
him for support — he had a reputation dear to him and 
them — and should this reputation be blasted, it was to 
him and his family, the loss of every thing. The great 
dramatic poet says, " you take my life, when you do 
take the means whereby I live." This was Webster's 
situation ; and Parkman, for a few hundred dollars, 
which neither his necessities, or his superfluities re- 



524 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 

quired, determined to disgrace his debtor — his former 
friend — and take from him the means of support for 
himself and dependant family. 

It requires no stretch of imagination to realize the 
deep distress and indignation that agitated the bosom of 
Webster, when he learned that Parkman threatened to 
expose his delinquency, and to wrest from him the fees 
and emoluments, on which he and his family relied for 
support; and then the insolent, overbearing manner! 
Debtors, if they are not altogether lost to a sense of 
honor, are, of all men living, the most sensitive. They 
feel themselves dependant, and subject to the caprice 
of creditors. They feel depressed and degraded, from 
the fact that they are not able to meet their obligations ; 
and they feel an anxiety in reference to family wants, 
that no man can ever realize till brought down by ad- 
versity to a state of poverty. 

Such, I have no doubt, were Webster's feelings, 
provoked and. aggravated by Parkman's importunities; 
and, although no justification for the horrid tragedy, yet 
a sympathy is excited for the man thus painfully situa- 
ted, and an abhorrence for one who would needlessly 
tantalize a wounded spirit, though improvident, as well 
as dependent. It should be a solemn warning to cred- 
itors as well as debtors. The one should not oppress, 
nor the other avenge. 

Had a mild, forbearing course been pursued, the 
murdered man and his murderer, would probably still 
be in the land of the living, and the stern retributions 
of a future state not yet realized, though sure in the 
end to overtake the delinquent. 

Oh ! what pains and heart-rendings have been the 
result of this deed of darkness ! What blasted hopes, 
what household and family desolation ! Surely, an 
inordinate love of money "is the root of much evil." 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 525 



PREFACE TO CHAPTER XXIX. 

To THE Reader: 

In reference to the following chapter, "slavery and 
alienation of feeling between the north and south," I 
wish to remark, that it was not written with a full de- 
termination to make it a part of this volume. 

The public mind has been so much excited in refer- 
ence to the slave question, that some friends who have 
examined and approved of this chapter, and who de- 
sired to see it in print, have advised me to publish it in 
pamphlet form, under an impression that its insertion 
in this volume, might prejudice the sale of the book 
with a portion of readers. 

I was half inclined to yield to these suggestions; 
but on reflection, have concluded to give it a place in 
my published volume, and submit it to the scrutiny of 
those who may deign to peruse it, with a request that 
they give it a candid and impartial consideration. 

I am the more inclined to this course, from the fact 
that the public mind appears to De settling down to a 
more tranquil state, and that a discussion of the question 
will now be heeded by candid men, who under the 
excited state of feeling that has existed, might have 
passed it by with contumely, if not contempt. 

The great body of the American people, are law 
abiding and orderly citizens, and desire to act rightly, 
when rightly inform.ed. Hence I cannot believe that a 
candid discussion of this absorbing question, can or 
ought to give offence to those who differ with me, and 



526 SLAVERV QUESTION. 

yet aim at the best interest of the countiy, and who 
are wilHng to investigate questions that enter so largely 
into our political institutions. 

I have endeavored to present the slave question, its 
origin, progress, and present existence, in such a light 
as well authenticated facts will warrant ; and to urge 
upon my readers the importance of abiding b}'^ the con- 
stitutional provisions, as the only chance of perpetuating 
the union of the states. It has appeared to me, that 
through our sympathies at the north, or our prejudices 
against the institution of slavery, we have for many 
years, in a measure overlooked our obligations under 
the national constitution ; and have too easily yielded 
to our impulses, while southern rights and interests have 
-been rudely and unscrupulously assailed. 

If those who read will reflect, and regard the con- 
stitution as the result of the labors of our revolutionary 
fathers, and its compromises and concessions as mutual 
pledges from different portions of the union, for the 
peace and harmony of the whole, it appears to me they 
must yield a more ready acquiescence to those provi- 
sions, though particular portions may not be precisely as 
we may desire. 

To those who set up conscience as a "higher law," 
and as a law, over and beyond the constitution, or any 
enactments under it, I cannot hope to bring them to an 
approval of what I may advance, for they deny the 
validity and binding force of the constitutional compact 
on that subject. 

Such men will not be convinced, even if Washing- 
ton should arise from the dead, and urge an acquies- 
cence in a provision which the fathers of the republic 
sanctioned; and without which, the union of the states 
could never have been cemented. 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 527 

But there are others equally opposed to slavery, and 
probably none more so than the writer, who recognise 
that provision of the constitution, as of the same valid- 
ity as other portions; and who will yield a ready ac- 
quiescence to that, as well as to all constitutional laws 
that may be enacted. 

To them, and others, who believe in sustaining the 
provisions of the constitution in all its parts, I invoke a 
candid perusal of the following chapter ; and to those 
who may differ with me, I only ask the charity of the 
reader, to believe that my intentions are upright, hon- 
orable, and patriotic* 



628 SLAVERY QUESTION. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Slavery, and alienation of feeling between tJie NortJi and South. 

When the federal constitution was adopted, slavery 
was tolerated, and existed, in almost every state of the 
union. 

The territory north-west of the river Ohio, then a 
wilderness, with the exception of a few old French set- 
tlements, though formerly subject to slavery, had been 
declared free by an ordinance of the old continental 
congress in 1787, before the formation of the federal 
constitution, with an express proviso, however, that those 
owing service, and escaping from other states, should 
be restored to that service. The comparatively few 
slaves in the northern states, with the manifest disposi- 
tion, that began to show itself in favor of manumission, 
rendered it quite certain that it would not long be toler- 
ated among them. Hence, a well-founded apprehension, 
among the southern states, where the great mass of 
slaves were held, that their northern neighbors, by free- 
ing their own, would not only influence the black po- 
pulation of the south to flee from their masters, but 
would make the free states receptacles for the run-a- 
way slaves. 

Each state was then sovereign and independent of 
the others, except so far as the old confedeaation united 
them for certain purposes, of which slavery formed no 
part. Just as independent of each other on this ques- 
tion, as any sovereignty of Europe ; and the right to 
reclaim and bring back a fugitive from service, did no 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 529 

more exist, except by compact or law, than it does 
now, to bring him back from Canada. Such right 
could only exist by compact among the different states. 
It is easy to perceive that the southern states, whose 
laws and civil institutions, were in a peculiar degree 
based on the relation of master and slave, which, en- 
tering into the elements of society, could not but regard 
this matter as of absorbing interest ; and without a 
compact to restore fugitives from service, they could 
not safely enter into, and maintain the union of the states. 
Not only were their laws and institutions based on this 
state of society, but the property of southern citizens 
was, in a large degree, vested in slaves and plantation 
establishments, suitable for slave labor, and the com- 
forts of living. 

Slavery had been forced upon the colonists north 
and south, (more particularly the latter,) by the mother 
country, at their early settlement ; and northern ship- 
pers had been for many years, the principal importers. 
Hence, where slaves abounded in great numbers, they 
could not be universally manumitted, except by break- 
ing up the well established organization of society, and 
the sacrifice of private rights, to the ruin of nearly all 
the landed proprietors. It may be remarked that the 
revolution was " begu?i, coiitinued, and ended^'' under 
this state of things ; leaving each state to manage and 
control the question within its own borders, as, in its 
sovereign capacity it should think proper. It may be 
further remarked, that the revolution was neither start- 
ed nor prosecuted to redress the grievance of negro 
slavery, nor did the continental congress possess, claim, 
or assume such power. 

This delicate question, therefore, became a " stum- 
bling block " in the convention that formed the consli- 



530 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

tution, and it was only by a compromise among the 
delegates from the several states, where some opinions 
and rights must be mutually conceded, for the acquisi- 
sition of others, equally desirable ; that a federal union 
could be secured, or a satisfactory constitution agreed 
upon. Nor could it have been concurred in by the 
states, after the convention had adopted it ; except 
upon an expectation that it would be carried out, and 
abided by in the several states. The convention was 
composed of men of the revolution ; those who had 
been reared under the British yoke ; but who, at an 
immense sacrifice of blood,' and treasure, had gone 
through a seven years' war, and triumphantly thrown 
off that yoke. Such men, imbued with a patriotic love 
of country — with a desire to perpetuate the principles 
for which they had fought, and to secure the union of 
the states, devoted themselves to compromise, and ad- 
just the embarrassing questions, which resulted in the 
adoption of the following provisions, — Art. 4, sect. 2 
of the constitution : 

" A person charged in any state with treason, felo- 
ny, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be 
found in another state, shall, on demand of the execu- 
tive authority of the state from which he fled, be deli- 
vered up, to be removed to the stale having jurisdiction 
of the crime. 

" No person, held to service or labor in one state, un- 
der the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in conse- 
quence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged 
from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on 
claim of the party to whom such service or labor may 
be due." 

Here are two clauses, the first relating to fugitives 
from justice ; similar in principle to treaty stipulations 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 531 

now existing between the United States and several 
foreign governments. The other, having express refer- 
ence to slaves, and those owing service in one state 
" under the laws thereof," and escaping into another, 
who shall be delivered up, on claim of the party to 
whom such such service or labor may be. due." 

Words cannot make it more plain and significant. 
Under this provision of the constitution ; and, to carry 
it out, congress, in 1793, passed a law authorizing 
certain officers to entertain jurisdiction of applications 
for the surrender of run-a-way slaves, which was 
signed by General Washington, as president; and 
John Adams as vice president ; and this has been in 
force nearly sixty years. 

The very state of things apprehended by the 
southern states, has happened. The northern states 
have, from time to time abolished slavery ; some, by 
an immediate emancipation ; others, as in New York, 
by a gradual abolition ; and now it is well for law abi- 
ding, peaceful, good citizens, candidly to reflect on 
what has passed, as well as what is to follow. 

Whatever may be the opinion of northern men upon 
the abstract question of slave holding, it is quite time 
for them to consider whether it is right, prudent, or 
honorable, to shuffle off, or evade this requirement of 
the constitution. I do not, nor will not suppose, that 
northern men in great numbers, will openly avow a 
desire to evade this provision ; much less to counte- 
nance opposition to it. To suppose such a northern 
feeling, would indicate a willingness to violate express 
stipulations, to outrage southern rights, and southern 
feelings, and to put in extreme peril, the union of the 
states J which union, more than anything else, has con- 



532 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

tributed to the growth, prosperity, and happiness of the 
whole country. 

Is it honorable for any portion of citizens either 
north or south, to repudiate the stipulations of our an- 
cestors — of our representatives, who formed the consti- 
tution, and of those who adopted it ? Nullification at 
the south has been in bad odor at the north ; and yet a 
refusal to abide in good faith, by the compromises of 
the constitution, and faithfully to carry them out; is 
but another name for nullification, and equally repre- 
hensible. 

When Louisiana was purchased under Mr. Jeffer- 
son's administration, it was a slave province, and was 
sturdily opposed by the federal party. I have no 
doubt, a portion of that opposition resulted from an ap- 
prehension that, in the end, it would give an undue 
influence to the south, particularly in reference to the 
slave-question. I am aware that the avowed opposition 
was on other grounds, and no doubt much of it from 
party, political considerations. It was finally acqui- 
esced in, the more readily, as the purchased province 
controlled the outlet of the Mississippi, and the de- 
scending products of our western citizens, who were 
settled on that great natural thoroughfare, with its nu- 
merous and extended tributaries. 

But when Missouri — a portion of Louisiana — ap- 
plied for admission, as an independent state, with 
slavery existing within her borders, and a slavery pro- 
vision in her constitution, the smothered feeling in the 
free states, broke out with an energy, that, in the 
struggle between the north and south, almost rent 
asunder the ligaments that bound the states together j 
and threatened the stability of the union. 

Louisiana, as claimed by Spain and France, and 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 533 

as we purchased it, extended almost indefinitely, on 
the west side of the Mississippi, to the north and west ; 
and the whole, when acquired, was subject to slavery. 

The question was finally happily settled by a com- 
promise, known as the Missouri compromise : by which 
that state was admitted, with a concession to the free 
states, that no other slave states should be created north 
of 36° 30' north latitude. Here was a concession to 
freedom, that converted from slave into free territory, a 
vast area, from which Towa is already admitted as a 
free state, and Minesota and Nebraska, with others at 
the west, unquestionably will be, in due time. Here the 
free states will, in the end, be decided gainers in refer- 
ence to slavery, without reckoning Missouri, which from 
present appearances will be made free, though the others, 
without her, will outnumber those subjected to slavery. 

Florida was subsequently acquired, and though a 
slave territory large enough for two states, was admit- 
ted to the union without serious opposition, even from 
the north. The whole country regarded it as a desira- 
ble acquisition, to get rid of a foreign government that 
gave protection to fugitives from justice, as well as from 
service; that served as a rallying point for hostile 
savages; that in a measure controlled a portion of 
southern trade, and that in case of hostilities, would 
greatly annoy our commerce in the Gulf of Mexico. 
We wanted it to round out our southern border, to secure 
our commerce, and free us from unwelcome neighbors. 
Thus Florida was acquired and admitted by almost 
unanimous consent. 

When Texas commenced her unequal struggle with 
Mexico, which resulted in Texan independence, the 
whole country, north and south, sympathised in feeling 
with the brave Texans. They, to be sure, had estab- 



534 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

lished slavery within their borders; but so long as the 
contest was between them and the Mexicans, even 
northern sympathies were decidedly with Texas. We 
had heard with horror of Mexican cruelties; the taking 
of the Alamo, a.nd cold blooded massacre of its defend- 
ers; and when at San Jacinto, Texas, under her brave 
and accomplished Houston, and other leaders eminent 
in Texan warfare, avenged former injuries, and estab- 
lished her independence, at the same time holding in 
captivity, Santa Anna, the leader of her oppressors, 
the whole country greeted "the lone star," as it rose 
resplendent from the smoke of battle. 

The proposition to annex it to this republic, was not 
well received by a large portion of our citizens, partic- 
ularly those of the whig party. Mexico protested, and 
it was perfectly obvious that its annexation would in- 
volve us in war. 

This consideration embodied nearly the whole whig- 
party, north and south, against the acquisition, unless 
the consent of Mexico was first secured. Many north- 
ern whigs, and some democrats, had misgivings, from 
the fact that it would add slave territory large enough 
for several states, which in the end would give undue 
influence to the southern portion of the union. This 
consideration, however, no doubt added considerably to 
the popularity of the measure at the south. The presi- 
dential campaign in 1S44, was mainly contested on this 
question; and the abohtion party, though professing an 
abhorrence to the admission of Texas, threw away 
their votes, and thus enabled Mr. Polk to carry New 
York, which secured his election. Texas was brought 
into the union almost entirely by democratic votes ; the 
democrats of the norlli very generally going with the 
south in favor of the measure, and were equally re- 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 535 

sponsible for its admission, as well as the war that grew 
out of it, as were the southerners who supported Mr. 
Polk. This remark is as applicable to that portion of 
the democracy since known as free soilers, who under 
the lead of Mr. Van Buren, have professed such a holy 
horror for slavery, as to the most zealous republicans 
who favored the annexation and the compromise mea- 
sures afterwards. 

I know it has been said that Mr. Van Buren cared 
not for the slavery question; but in consenting to stand 
as a candidate, desired to avenge himself on General 
Cass, whose friends had pressed him for a presidential 
nomination in 1844, and who had contributed "to the de- 
feat of Mr. Van Buren, at the Baltimore convention. 
Mr. Van Buren had objected to the admission of Texas, 
unless matters could be amicably arranged with Mexico, 
to avoid war; but I am not aware that the existence of 
slavery was ever urged by him, or any considerable 
number of his friends, against the admission. He and 
they aided in electing Mr. Polk ; they sustained him in 
prosecuting the war against Mexico, and with few ex- 
ceptions, went for annexing Texas, and the acquisition 
of large portions of Mexican territory. 

Whatever Mr. Van Buren's private feelings were in 
reference to the question of slavery, there is not a doubt 
that many who supported him for president, in 1S4S, 
regarded it with absorbing interest; and having been 
influential in bringing on the Mexican war, it seems to 
me it would have been more magnanimous for them to 
have gone on and aided in adjusting the disturbing 
questions growing out of their own acts, instead of act- 
ing with the abolitionists, and thus adding fuel to the 
excitement. 

Mr. Van Buren will hardly live long enough to con- 



536 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

vince his countrymen that his course has been discreet 
or proper. They will, very hkely, be so dull of com- 
prehension, as not to discover the propriety of a proffer- 
ed veto in advance, against abolishing slavery in the 
District of Columbia, when southern votes were want- 
ed ; and an announcement, in 1848, that a like veto 
would be withheld. 

However plausible and satisfactory to himself his 
reasons may appear, it will be no great marvel, if the 
public at large shall look at the latter declaration, as a 
device to secure the votes of a class of politicians for- 
merly discarded by himself and party ; and whose sym- 
pathies were antagonistical to those of the south, and to 
his own, a few years previous. His position in 1848, 
will add no desirable chaplet to his brow. 

The war with Mexico, though not popular with the 
whig party, was nevertheless sustained with energy 
and good faith by the great body of the people, whigs 
as well as democrats. The cabinet of Mr. Polk, or rather 
that part more immediately connected with the war (the 
purse and the sword,) was of eminent ability. The 
commanding generals and their subordinates, down to. 
the privates in the ranks ; displayed military talent, 
and indomitable bravery, that soon planted the stars 
and stripes on the towers and ramparts of the proud 
Aztec metropolis. The result was the acquisition of 
an immense territory ; and then, in reference to the 
government and division of these extensive domains, 
the slavery agitation between the north and south, were 
revived with unparallelled bitterness. Under this -state 
of feeling, the first session of the thirty-first congress 
commenced, beset with difficulties, heart-burnings, and 
divisions, that threatened the peace and perpetuity of 
the union itself. 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 637 

It cannot be necessary, so soon after the protracted 
and embittered discussions of that session, to go into a 
full detail of the various questions that divided the re- 
presentatives of the people. 

These, in short, were the admission of California 
as an independent state ; the adjustment of the Texas 
boundary ; the establishment of territorial governments 
in New Mexico and Utah ; the abolition of the slave 
trade in the District of Columbia ; and the " fugitive 
slave law " so called. 

When it was ascertained that the Mexican war was 
to result in the acquisition of the territories above 
mentioned, a large portion of the representatives of the 
free states, passed a resolution known as " flie Wilmot 
proviso," introduced by Mr. Wilmot, a democratic 
member from Pennsylvania, the substance of which 
was, *' that slavery, or involuntary service, except for 
crime, should not exist in any territories that might be 
acquired." A large portion of whigs, with many de- 
mocrats from the free states, insisted on applying this 
provision to the bills relative to the territories above 
mentioned ; and even to California, although she had 
adopted a constitution with an express exclusion of 
slavery. 

The southern representatives generally, insisted on 
adopting the Missouri compromise line, 36° 30', exclu- 
ding slavery north of that line, and leaving it optional 
with citizens south of it on being admitted as states, to 
permit or prohibit slavery as they pleased ; or, in other 
words, to say nothing about it at present ; while a few 
ultra southern gentlemen, desired an express recogni- 
tion, if not authorization of slavery, south of the Mis- 
souri compromise line. The latter view of the question 
was not generally satisfactory, even to southern repre- 



53S SLAVERY QUESTION. 

sentatives, as it implied a right on the part of congress 
to legislate in regard to slavery, which many of them 
denied. Those who opposed the Wilmot proviso, took 
the ground, that it was a mere abstraction, of no prac- 
tical force ; and, if adopted, would amount to nothing, 
as the territories on becoming states, would permit 
slavery if they pleased, notwithstanding the proviso. 
This was the view taken by some of its opposers ; 
while others, particularly southern members, took the 
ground that, though it would not prohibit slavery, if the 
states on being admitted chose to sanction it ; yet, it 
was unjust to the south, by whose blood and treasure, 
as well as that of the north, the territories had been 
acquired ; ^nd southern men had the same right as 
northern, to go there with their property, and be pro- 
tected in its enjoyment. Again, the proviso, even if of 
no binding validity, would seem to deter slave holders 
from going there with their slaves; and, on the whole, 
was an injury, as well as insult to the south, to be thus 
thrust forward in advance. Others, again, argued that 
the question appropriately belonged to the citizens of 
the territory, and should be left to their decision ; while 
others voted against the proviso, for the reason that the 
situation, climate, and physical condition of the terri- 
tories, would preclude the introduction of slave labor, 
which never could be profitable or desirable ; and 
therefore it was unnecessary to pass the obnoxious 
provision. 

In relation to the dividing line between Texas and 
New Mexico, there was an embittered controversy, 
with threats and well-grounded apprehensions, of a 
hostile collision, that would light the torch of civil war. 
Whether a few square miles, more or less, qf a desert 
country, should be under the jurisdiction ofyrce, or slave 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 539 

laws, was an absorbing question, in reference to which, 
mad-caps of the north and south, seemed ambitious to 
drive the controversy to a trial of strength. These, 
with the fugitive slave law, and suppression of the 
slave trade in the District of Columbia, were the lead- 
ing questions in the embittered struggle, which pro- 
longed the session of congress to an unexampled 
length ; engrossed its attention to the exclusion of near- 
ly all other matters ; and seemed only to be adjusted 
by the devotion and generous exertions of distinguished 
leading men of the two great political parties, who 
nobly resolved " that the union must and should be 
preserved " at every hazard. 

The several laws of that session, known as " the 
compromise measures," were finally carried, after pro- 
tracted debates, and in the face of determined opposi- 
tion. For a time it seemed impossible to reconcile the 
requisite number to any one proposition, to give it the 
shape of law ; while to keep the questions open for the 
purpose of agitation, seemed to be the object and de- 
sire of abolitionists at the north, and ultra slavery men 
at the south. 

Mr. Clay was constituted the acknowledged leader 
by those of each political party, who thus wished to ad- 
just the disturbing questions; and nothing short of mutual 
concessions seemed likely to promote the desired result. 

A more gallant, patriotic, talented, and devoted 
leader, could nowhere be found. Bold, upright, and 
persuasive, he had, in times past, hushed the elements 
of strife, and restored quietude to the union ; first, by 
his proposition known as the Missouri compromise ; 
and secondly, the tariff adjustment; which, for a time, 
allayed sectional controversies, on that exciting subject. 

Not only Mr. Clay, but General Cass, Mr. Webster, 



540 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

Senators Foote and Dickinson, General Houston, the 
senators from Indiana and Illinois, Messrs. Mangum, 
Badger, Bell, and Underwood, with others equally de- 
serving the thanks of their countrymen, devoted them- 
selves to adjusting, by way of compromise, the vari- 
ous complicated questions under discussion. 

To them, and their associates who acted w-ith them, 
in the senate, and those of similar views in the house 
of representatives, the country is specially indebted 
for the passage of the compromise measures ; which, 
it is hoped, if faithfully adhered to, will give quiet 
again to the country ; and restore that harmony and 
kind feelling, which has been rudely disturbed. 

And now arises the important question, whether 
these measures, and the requirements of the constitu- 
tion, shall be sustained and carried out in good faith ? 
Or, shall every thing that should be most dear to the 
American heart, be put at hazard by an attempt to 
evade, or oppose the laws, and the constitutional pro- 
visions? 

On this subject, it is most consoling to know, that 
president Fillmore, with his confidential official ad- 
visers, stands firm and immovable. His Integrity, firm- 
ness, and consistency of purpose, in every official sta- 
tion heretofore filled by him, give assurances to the na- 
tion, that with him as its chief magistrate, there will be 
no faltering, no hesitancy, in sustaining and enforcing 
the laws of the land. 

I by no means intend to intimate that those who op- 
posed the compromise measures, were wanting in 
patriotism, or attachment to the union. The great 
body of them acted from pure and patriotic motives; 
and though they did not concur in the measures adopt- 
ed by the majority, I have no doubt they desired an ad- 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 541 

justment that should be satisfactory to the country, and 
substantially just to all its parts. 

Conceding as I do, purity of intention to most of 
them, I cannot but look upon their opposition as fraught 
with danger to the stability of the union. While some 
hesitated to vote for measures, under an impression 
that their constituents would not approve of their votes, 
others may have voted with an expectation of building 
up a political reputation by adhering to, or opposing 
certain measures; and others again, unwiUing to incur 
the responsibility of taking a stand, and boldly throw- 
ing themselves into the breach, were content to see 
those who were more chivalric in feeling than them- 
selves, adopt a course which they secretly approved, 
but wanted courage to pursue. 

It is too much to expect from political men, general- 
ly, that they will jeopardize their position by running 
counter to the opinion of their constituents; even when 
those opinions are the result of prejudices. Still there 
are representatives who will take this responsibility, 
and like Curtius, sacrifice themselves to preserve the 
country; and most fortunate it is, that such representa- 
tives can sometimes be found. 

Those who took the opposite side on the compro- 
mise measures, did not regard the danger so imminent 
as those who sustained them ; and no doubt believed 
their own propositions would arrive at the same result. 

In my judgment, the risk was too great to justify 
doubtful measures, or to experiment upon the forbear- 
ance of different sections of the country, already too 
highly excited. It was time to stop discussions, and by 
mutual concessions and conciliatory measures, bring 
back the country to fraternal feelings, then nearl}' lost 
from recriminations, and alleged aggressions, mutually 
charged against each other. 



542 SLAVERY QUESTTON. 

Those laws thus far, have been acquiesced in with 
reasonable unanimity on the part of the people, with 
the exception of the fugitive slave law, which has been 
bitterly denounced by a large number of citizens in the 
free states. That law, if abided by, and carried out in 
good faith with the other enactments, I trust will give 
quiet once more to the union. Indeed, save the dis- 
content in South Carolina, which has been prevalent in 
regard to tariff laws, as well as resulting from the slave 
question, I know of no serious impediment to a restora- 
tion of kind feelings, except the continued hostility of a 
portion of the north, to the constitutional provision re- 
quiring the return of fugitive slaves to their masters. 
This is the real ground of opposition to the fugitive 
slave law, and has been at the bottom of all the diffi- 
culties between the free and slave states in rerard to 

O 

slavery. The law of 1793, which prescribed the mode 
of proceedings to compel a return to service, was not 
much clamored against, because abolitionists, and those 
who connived at the escape of slaves, could by delays 
and devices evade that law. It is true, laws were pass- 
ed in some of the states, securing to the fugitive slave 
the trial by jury of the question, whether he should be 
returned to service; that is, he might replevy himself 
and allege his freedom, and thus, under a state law, 
claim for himself a jury trial. More than twenty years 
ago, the supreme court of the state of New York, by a 
solemn decision, adjudged the state law unconstitution- 
al, as it undoubtedly was; and this has also been ad- 
judged by the supreme court of the United States. 
The correctness of those decisions, will be made ap- 
parent to any one who will candidly examine the cases; 
or who will consult the writings of the late accomplish- 
ed Judge Story, who certainly will never be suspected 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 543 

of partialities to slavery, or slave laws. All the clamor 
and denunciations that have been got up against the 
fugitive slave law, on the ground that it took away the 
right of trial by jury, is the merest pretence, without 
the shadow of excuse. Those making the assertion, 
either know nothing about the laws, or if knowing them, 
have intentionally misrepresented them to deceive and 
impose on those more ignorant than themselves. 

The right of trial by jttnj never existed to decide 
whether a slave charged with escaping from service, or a 
fugitive from justice, should he given tip. Who ever 
heard of such a trial, where one was arrested on an 
allegation of crime? 

Fugitives from justice, and from service, stand on 
the same ground by the constitutional provision; and 
though they have the right to be tried by a jury where 
the crime was committed, or where the service is al- 
leged to be due, which in the latter case brings up the 
question o^ freeman or slave, yet in reference to sending 
back either, it is a preliminary enquiry merely, whether 
there is reasonable cause. 

When I say the right of trial by jury never existed to 
decide whether a slave, charged with escaping from service, 
should be give7i up, I do not intend to deny that state 
laws have been passed, authorizing such trials. But 
those laws have been adjudged unconstitutional; and 
hence, the assertion that the right never existed, as an 
unconstitutional law, is a nullity. 

The slave states have laws securing the right of 
trial by jury, to any one held in servitude, who claims 
to be free ; and I have no doubt, the trial would be as 
fair and impartial as in any other state. But it is said 
at the north, if it is a question of property to the value 
of a " writing desk," the parties have the right of trial 



544: SLAVERY QUESTION. 

by jury ; while, if a claim of service is made, that in- 
volves a question of freedom ; the party claimed, must 
be given up without intervention of a jury ; and 
should he after his removal, have a jury trial, it will 
be among strangers, and 'under most disadvantageous 
circumstances. 

This is all true ; but is it a fair argument when 
taken in connection with the provisions of the consti- 
tution? " Disguise it as you will, still slavery is a bitter 
draught,'''' and I freely admit that the constitution, and 
the laws under it, so far as slaves are concerned, are se- 
vere ; and a departure from the English common law. 
Hence, when it is asserted that it would be but just to 
allow a black man claimed as a slave to have a trial 
by jury, where the claim is made, and would be in 
accordance with the common law ; as a distinct pro- 
position will hardly be disputed, even by southern 
lawyers. I am sure I shall not dispute it; and I will 
add, that it would be more in accordance with the 
common law, not to surrender him at all ; but to regard 
every human being found in a free state, as a free man, 
and entitled to its protection. This would be the com- 
mon law, but it has nothing to do with the question. 

Slavery was forced upon the colonies, in opposition 
to the common law ; and being here before, and at the 
time the constitution was formed, the provision requir- 
ing the giving up of those claimed as fugitives from 
service, was adopted as a compromise between the 
north and south, and the faith of each was pledged in 
the most solemn manner, for its performance. Under 
that provision, the law of '93 was passed, and has been 
adjudged a constitutional law. 

Why then, is it now contended that fugitives from 
service should have a jury trial, except by those who 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 545 

are willing to violate the constitution, and dissolve the 
union of the states ? And suppose this could be effect- 
ed, how would, it benefit the slave ? They would be 
slaves still, unless northern philanthropists, with fanatic 
zeal, should invade the slave holding states, and by 
encouraging and aiding a servile war, thus sever the 
bonds of the slave, to the degradation and destruction 
of the whites. 

This must necessarily be the result ; and hence, 
good men, who love the union of the states, and be- 
lieve it of inestimable value to all, though there may 
be many provisions in the constitution that they individ- 
ually might prefer to change, or even abrogate alto- 
gether, have, for the preservation of the union, more 
than once made concessions ; and in this spirit, the fu- 
gitive slave law, amending the law of '93, was adopted. 

The law of '93 being so often, and so easily evaded ; 
the fugitive slave law, though more stringent in its pro- 
visions, as it was intended to be, was substituted; but 
contains no new principle in regard to the return of the 
slave. It to be sure authorizes certain officers to act 
in carrying out the law, and so did the law of '93; and 
the law of 1850, in certain prescribed cases, requires 
the law to be executed, and authorizes the employment 
of force to compel submission. 

But there is no requirement beyond the constitution- 
al provision, that those " held to service or labor, in one 
state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another 
state, shall be delivered up on claim of the party to 
whom such service or labor is due." Those willing to 
obey this provision of the constitution, have no reason 
to object to, or oppose the fugitive slave law. The 
truth is, a small portion of citizens in the free states, 
known as abolitionists, openly denounce and oppose 
35 



546 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

this constitutional provision ; while a much larger num-* 
ber, who do not go the whole length of the abolitionists, 
so far sympathize with them on this question, that they 
are not only willing to see tJiem entice, and even sUal 
away a slave, but will indirectly connive at, and se- 
cretly aid the escape. This northern feehng, which 
had led to depredations on the rights and interests of 
the south, outraging their feelings by denunciations, and 
robbing them of their property, lies at the bottom of 
all the difficulties, between the free and slave holding 
states. 

No candid man, who knows and regards facts, but 
must admit that we of the north, in these matters 
have been the aggressors, not only in a few isolated in- 
stances, but daily, and that too for many years. North- 
ern citizens, many of them, without much reflection, 
have practically repudiated the requirements of the 
constitution ; while professed abolitionists, and others 
not admitting themselves such, but justifying them- 
selves on the score of " conscience," have professed 
to obey *' a higher law," and therefore disregarded the 
constitution. 

As between these classes, I can look on your out- 
and-out abolitionist, with some little complacency, for 
he tells you plainly, that the provision in the constitu- 
tion is contrary to the divine law; and, therefore, void 
from beginning. While your "conscience" man will, 
very likely, find excuses to swear to support the con-^ 
stitution, and then hypocritically violate it, as well as 
his oath. 

Though I regard the abolitionists, were it not for' 
the insignificance of their numbers, as the most danger- 
ous enemies to the peace and stability of the union, yet 
their extravagant, fanatical zeal, will, probably, always 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 547 

l:eep them a party so weak in numbers, that their 
efforts will appear ridiculous, as well as impotent. 

On the other hand, your "conscience men," make 
their " consciences," like charity, " cover a multitude of 
sins." I cannot comprehend the dictates of that con- 
science, that will permit its possessor to sleep quietly un- 
der its monitions, while he claims and enjoys the bene- 
fits of the constitution, as a shield for the protection of 
life, property and national rights, at home and abroad, 
and yet winks at evasions, if not actually encourages 
opposition; and that too, after an oath registered in 
heaven for its support. * 

While freely admitting the existence and binding 
authority of that great code of natural law, impressed 
by Deity himself upon the consciences of all intelligent 
beings, and which is superior to all human, conflicting 
enactments; yet, in reference to civil duties, as a mem- 
ber of community living under laws, and professing 
an attachment and adherence to the constitution, I 
know of no higher law, and desire to know none, than 
the constitution itself. Hence when conscience is made 
a pretext for violating constitutional laws, or repudiating 
the constitutional provisions, I want "none of it." 

Should I ever feel constrained to resist the laws of 
my country, (which God forbid,) my opposition will be 
of that cast, that it will be revolution, if successful; 
treason, if not. I will not profess reverence for the 
constitution and laws that protect me, and make con- 
science a pretext for forcibly violating those I dislike. 

Conscience is made the pretext for so many aberra- 
tions of duty, and is used for such base purposes, that 
I almost abominate the word, and can say of it, as 
Shakspeare makes one speak of the word occupy, that 
it "was an excellent good word before it was ill as- 
sorted." • 



548 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

I once had a "conscience man" in my employment, 
who always thrust his conscience forward, when he 
was most delinquent in duty. On one occasion he 
felt himself greatly scandalized, on my telling him he 
had too much, and made too fiee use of the commodi- 
ty. Our business relations were finally brought to an 
abrupt close, by his stealing my corn and running 
away, taking with him bag and baggage, conscience 
and all. 

I do not intend to speak irreverently, or disparaging- 
ly, of the monitions of conscience. But it seems to 
me, that efforts to enlighten and appropriately apply 
it to the affairs of life, instead of casuistical devices, 
which too often lead to its misapplication, would make 
us better men, and better citizens. 

I know there is a repugnance to slavery, and a con- 
scientious abhorrence of it, that pervades, and in a 
great measure controls the feelings of citizens in free 
states; and I respect that feeling, when restrained with- 
in its appropriate sphere. 

I also know, that this anti-slavery sentiment has 
greatly increased in the free states, since the manumis- 
sion of their own slaves. To look at its operations, it 
would really appear that individual interest, or the in- 
terest of friends, or perhaps the former universality of 
slavery at the north, by bringing our citizens in contact, 
and daily intercourse with those who held slaves, had 
in a great measure quieted conscience, and stifled its 
monitions, till we were rid of them ourselves ; and 
now, as if to atone for former delinquencies, exhibits 
itself with recuperated energies, in an unrelenting war- 
fare against all who hold them, just as our citizens for- 
merly did. If it is sinful now, it was equally sinful 
then; but the zeal now manifested, was then dormant; 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 549 

and being rid of our own, is now rampant for extirpa- 
ting slavery wherever it exists. 

If our northern citizens regard it as a conscientious 
duty to war against slavery, why not wage the warfare 
against its existence in Cuba and Brazil, where the 
slave trade is permitted, if not actually authorized; in- 
stead of warring against their southern brethren? Here 
is a foreign field for their sympathies, wide enough for 
the most active exercise of benevolence and philantro- 
phy. In the one case, it would be a controversy with 
foreigners who approve of^ and sustain the trade; while 
in the other, it is interfering with the rights of our own 
countrymen, disturbing the peace of the union, and that 
too, in express violation of constitutional engagements. 

I am not to be understood as an advocate for slave- 
ry. I would not establish it anywhere ; and being rid 
of it ourselves, have no desire to see it re-established. 
It is an evil fastened upon the country before our na- 
tional existence, and must be left to the states where it 
exists to manage it, like other evils, the best way they 
can for the public good. Were I a citizen of Maryland, 
Kentucky, or Missouri, I would favor incipient steps for 
a gradual manumission, so remote as not to produce re- 
vulsions and disruptions in society, but would, event- 
ually, result in a full abolition of slavery. In Delaware, 
I would vote for it at once; while, in the Carolinas, or 
more southern states, I would not, for the present, vote 
for even the incipient steps. 

Whites, as well as blacks, have rights ; and I am 
satisfied, that in those states where so many are held in 
servitude, it is better for both races to remain as they 
are, for the present, than to disorganize society by free- 
ing the blacks, and thus setting them and the whites in 
antagonistic positions. 



^50 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

The two races cannot bold an equal standing. 
They cannot, and do not, at the north. Prejudices too 
strong to overcome, will not permit it ; and to think of 
liberating the vast numbers of ignorant southern slaves, 
and throwing them upon their own resources for a live- 
lihood, many of them with but little more capacity for 
taking care of themselves, than so many oxen, would 
be the extreme of fanatical folly, and ruinous to those 
states. If it did not lead to an immediate conflict for 
mastery, as it did in St. Domingo, it would let loose a 
multitude, who, from sheer necessity, must either beg, 
steal, or rob, to sustain life, or must be supported by 
society at large. 

I would not from any mawkish sensibility in regard 
to natural rights, like Don Quixotte, half crazed on one 
particular subject, make war, and contend with wind- 
mills; but would treat slavery, as I would other evils 
engrafted upon society; ameliorate the condition of the 
slave ; render him comfortable and happy ; make his 
servitude as endurable as possible, till it could be re- 
moved without inflicting greater evils on society. When 
that time will arrive, is best known to him who fore- 
knows and controls human events. I would not pre- 
cipitate it, to introduce the fruits of West India eman- 
cipation; besides, as a citizen of another state, I have 
no right, legal or moral, to interfere with the domestic 
relations of others ; nor would I, if I had such right. 
Let them adjust the matter themselves, as we have 
done; and as I know we would not have consented 
that other states should interfere with our affairs, neith- 
er will I with theirs. While the black man, I hope, 
will always find me his friend, and ready to protect 
him in all his legal rights, he must not expect me to 
outrage, or violate the constitutional rights of the whites. 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 551 

Those southern domestic relations, must be left to south- 
ern management; and in my judgment, the northern 
man who interferes with them, whether so intended or 
not, inflicts a great evil on the slave, and is in fact his 
worst enemy. 

Whether slavery of itself be a sin, is a point on 
which good, and great men, both laymen and divines, 
have, and probably will always differ. While it is 
generally conceded that the negroes are an inferior 
race (intellectually, if not physically,) to the Caucasian ; 
it is contended by many eminent theologians, that a 
state of servitude is allotted to them by a *' higher law " 
than man can enact, which, for nearly 4,000 years 
has existed without change. 

" Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he 
be unto his brethren." " Blessed be the Lord God of 
Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant." " God shall 
enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of 
Shem ; and Canaan shall be his servant." — Gen. 9th 
chap., 25th, 26th, and 27th. 

Here is a denunciation thrice repeated, to give it 
more emphasis and solemnity, which is significant, and 
no doubt has a meaning. It is supposed to refer to the 
descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham ; and the best 
and most learned biblical scholars have uniformly con- 
ceded that the negro'race are those descendants. 

Whether that be so or not, certainly the curse or 
denunciation referred to individuals or nations of some 
description ; and'men more learned and wise than myself, 
have contended that it expressly refers to slavery, which 
we know has always existed. I will not assert that it re- 
fers to, or sanctions slavery, but at least it implies a degra- 
ded, inferior position, mentally or otherwise, and perhaps 
such a condition would be a fulfilment of the prophecy. 



552 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

We know from history, sacred and profane, that 
slavery has existed in all ages of the world, authorized 
in the old, and tolerated in the new testament ; yet it is 
a monstrous evil to both races which I hope may be 
removed, whenever it can be, without inflicting great- 
er. This hope, I confess, is more like the christian 
hope, that the world will be converted and becom.e 
better, and the millenium ushered in at some indefi- 
nite future period, than a positive reasonable expecta- 
tion that such result, however desirable, will soon take 
place. 

That the negroes are an inferior race, I cannot rea- 
sonably doubt ; though this affords no excuse for buy- 
ing or stealing them from their own country to make 
slaves abroad. 

Reasoning from analogy, their inferiority in the 
scale of being, may be deduced from the fact, that 
there is a gradation, mentally and phj'sically, from the 
lowest to the highest of created things. This we see 
in the vegetable and animal creation — it pervades the 
whole, and appears to be the order and economy of 
nature. Then when we leave the brute part, and in- 
stitute comparisons between the different classes or 
races of the human family, where should the negroes 
be placed? 

While almost every race except his, has advanced 
in civilization, arts, and sciences, he has remained sta- 
tionary; and is now, where left to himself, substantially 
the same as he was 3,000 years ago. 

The lights of Egyptian, Assyrian, Hebrew, Greek, 
and pLoman science made no impression on him, while 
civilization and the arts of modern times find him 
scarcely an imitator, except as he has been forced to 
adopt them from communication with civilized men. 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 553 

He has withstood the whole — and at the present 
day, in all the fastnesses of his native Africa, he ex- 
hibits the same stupid brutalized condition that charac- 
terized him in the first ages of the world, and that has 
marked his progress through the "whole course of re- 
corded time." 

Even on the western coast of Africa, where, for 
nearly four-hundred years, he has been brought in inti- 
mate relations with Europeans, he has scarcely emerged 
from barbarism, and still worships his idols ; while his 
leading trait of character is an aptitude to steal or cap- 
ture his own race, and sell them into bondage. 

He can imitate, but what has he ever invented, or 
what talent for invention has he ever manifested ? 

Probably the Caffirs and Hottentots are the lowest 
class of humanity, and who would think of comparing 
them intellectually or otherwise, with the European 
races? Their very physical conformation, their heads, 
and frontlets, stamp them as beings of an inferior order. 
If this be so, they must remain a degraded race, even 
if admitted to equal legal privileges, for the laws of 
nature can neither be overthrown or counteracted. 

If the black race are ever to be improved, it would 
seem to be by a forced communication with civilized 
life ; and in this view of the question, good may event- 
ually be derived, even from a state of slavery. 

Situated as they are, in the southern states, where 
the slave is compelled to associate with civilized men ; 
and conform in a great measure to the modes and ha- 
bits of civilized life ; I have no doubt, that take them as 
a race, they are far better off than an equal number 
ever have been in their original condition. 

It may, in God's good time, be made apparent, that 
slavery has been permitted for some great purpose, that 



654 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

shall eventually work out in his inscrutable providen- 
ces, the good, and the civilization of that benighted race. 

While I would not extend slavery, I am willing to 
abide by the stipulations of the constitution, and leave 
the amelioration or abrogation of the condition of the 
slave to the several states, who, alone have the control 
of the question. 

In this view, I ask all good men; those who are 
considerate, well disposed, and who wish to preserve 
the rights and liberties of the country — whether opposi- 
tion to the fugitive slave law is a moral or christian 
duty? 

Can an American citizen, who has the good of his 
country at heart, desire or aid in producing such a re- 
sult? Is it not the first duty of a good citizen to obey 
the law, till your courts, organized by yourselves, to 
decide on its constitutionality, have declared it invalid; 
or until you can amend or repeal it, through the me- 
dium of the ballot box. It seems to me this is the legiti- 
mate course — the only course that good citizens should 
desire. 

Certainly you do not wish to encourage an opposi- 
tion that may place life, liberty, and property, under 
the control of mobs, or lawless assemblages ; nor do 
you wish to see the majesty of the laws derided. 

Let me make a candid appeal, and ask you, if yoa 
have not formed hasty conclusions, such as have result- 
ed from prejudices or pre-conceived opinions, without 
much reflection? 

I know the great body of my readers do not desire 
a dissolution of the union ; and yet it appears very 
plain to me, that this will be lost, unless we abide 
in good faith by the requirements of the constitution. 
Ask yourselves whether you will repudiate those com- 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 555 

promises, and run the risk, and take the consequences 
of a disruption? Or will you adhere to engagements 
made by wise and good men, which many, very many 
of us have sworn to support! Or will we basely cast 
aside and trample upon those provisions, which we 
personally dislike, and yet, without which, the con- 
stitution could neither have been formed or adopted ! 
Is it reasonable to expect the south to abide by the 
constitution, when the north violate and repudiate those 
provisions intended to secure southern rights and inter- 
ests ? It is preposterous to think so. 

The truth is, we at the north have been unwilling 
to carry out the provisions, where they were against 
our opinions, and this is made painfully obvious by 
matters transpiring daily. If we are honest we must 
admit it. What else is the meaning of petitions pre- 
sented to the legislatures asking for a state law " to pre- 
vent the return of fugitive slaves?" What else means 
the following abolition resolutions adopted in Massa- 
chusetts? 

^^ Resolved — That we rejoice with our whole hearts 
at the recent rescue of a man claimed as a slave in 
Boston, as an act just and merciful towards man and 
well pleasing in the sight of God. 

" Resolved — That we hope that this act will grow 
into a perpetual precedent, and that, law or no law, 
constitution or no constitution, union or no union ; the 
hospitality of Massachusetts will never be violated by 
the deliverance of any fugitive from oppression to his 
tvrant again." 

It has been proclaimed even from the sacred desk, 
that opposition to the law, and the constitutional provi- 
sion, is a christian duty. Can it be possible that doc- 
trines like this will long be tolerated by any considera- 



556 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

ble number ? I cannot believe it. Men will reflect, 
and reflection will induce other convictions. 

Perhaps I am too sensitive on these subjects, but if I 
am, it is no new born zeal. It is at least of twenty 
years' standing. I am on record, and have been on 
this subject, for sixteen years. By referring to the de- 
mocratic legislative address, drawn by me, and adopt- 
ed May 24th, 1836, the following clause will be found, 
not inappropriate to the present state of affairs : 

"Within the last year the public mind has been 
greatly excited on the subject of abolition. We are 
satisfied that the great body of the American people are 
sound on this question ; and that they not only depre- 
cate any interference with the rights of the people at 
the south, but view with disapprobation any attempt to 
agitate the public mind in reference to this delicate and 
exciting subject. We think, however, that you cannot 
have failed to observe in the congressional proceedings 
of the present session, a studied design on the part of 
the abolitionists to aghate this question ; and a most 
ready acquiescence on the part of southern nuUifiers, in 
any scheme to invite or provoke discussion. It has ap- 
peared to us, that there has been a perfect understand- 
ino- between the fanatics of the north, and the nullifiers 
of the south, to thrust this subject before the public, 
with a view to detach the slave holding states from the 
support of the administration. 

" But thanks to the intelligence and patriotism of the 
south, this project has found but little favor, except with 
a few disappointed and desperate politicians of the 
nullification school; and at the north, it has been abet- 
ted by comparatively few in numbers, and (in refer- 
ence to its leaders) those have been principall}^ broken 
down, unprincipled aspirants, who have long since, not 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 557 

only rendered themselves odious, but have justly lost 
the confidence of those to whom they are best known. 

" With a zeal untiring, and an unabated ardor for 
public notoriety, 'they will compass sea and land to 
make a proselyte,' but their object being political dis- 
tinction, the people duly appreciate their exertions, and 
will consign to merited obscurity, those who attempt to 
rise by such base artifices and deceptions." This was 
signed by every democratic member of the legislature. 

Now, though I believe the feeling in every slave 
state, to be perfectly sound in favor of the union, and 
that, too, by largd majorities; and though, in my judg- 
ment, it would be for the interest of each to adhere, 
even if the free states should violate the provision of 
the constitution, by refusing to surrender slaves ; yet, 
with the present exasperated feeling on that question, I 
do not believe the union can, by any possibiHty be pre- 
served, without the faithful performance of that en- 
gagement. 

The south may well say, why shall we remain united 
with those who openly deride and set aside the terms of 
the original compact? If they violate one provision, 
what assurance can we have, that all will not be set at 
nought^ Pride of feehng will come in, and even if 
interest should say stick by the union, for in union only, 
there is strength ; yet it is almost certain that southern 
pride would revolt at the unequal co-partnership, and 
would go out by main force, rather than submit to dis- 
grace, as well as injury. 

Viewing as I do, the union of the states, as beyond 
all comparison, the most important bequest left us by 
the fathers of the country — the men of revolutionary 
times ; I beseech all who so regard it, to stop aggres- 
sions at once ; and though slavery be abhorrent to our 



■^8 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

feelings, and a return of fugitives from service, a most 
unpleasant duty; yet let us not be aggressors on the 
rights of the south, and set an example of disobedience 
to law, which may be deeply deplored in the end. 

Reasonable considerate men should reflect, and 
inake up their minds, whether the perpetuity of the 
union with a restoration of kind feeiinws between the 
north and south, is not of vastly more importance to all 
classes, both white and black, than a severance of the 
interest and unity of the states, with all the concom- 
itants of civil war, and bitter hatred, which must ine- 
vitably follow. » 

"The dissolution of the union." Have the citizens 
of the different stales, north or south, properly consider- 
ed the direful consequences that must follow such an 
event? 

The union resulted from a consciousness that it was 
indispensably necessary to the whole country. It was 
consecrated by the blood of the revolution, which, shed 
for a common cause, carried with it cohesive powers 
that consolidated the mass. That union once disrupt- 
ed, and by force too, if broken up at all, in all human 
probability can never be again consummated. The 
blood that will be shed in collisions between the states, 
will have lost its cohesive qualities, and henceforth will 
have become repulsive and antagonistical. 

A dissolution of the union, of all political calamities, 
would be the greatest. To say nothing of the civil 
wars that must inevitably follow; and the border hostili- 
ties that collisions of feeling and interest must constant- 
ly engender; it would annihilate all the bright hopes of 
the apostles of liberty. It would render of no avail the j 
blood and treasure of the revolutionary struggle ; for : 
how could we appeal to other nations, and talk of the 



SLAVERY QUESTION. 559 

blessings of liberty, when we had made so calamitous 
a use of it ourselves ? We are all of the same race 
scattered through the different states, but united in in- 
terest, in language, in the social relations of life, and 
bound up in one common destiny. 

A dissolution would blot out the stars, and efface 
the stripes of our glorious flag; and the eagle if allow- 
ed to rem.ain as the representative of a fragment of the 
now favored confederacy, would no longer be the bird 
of Jove, invested with power; but rather of weakness 
and degeneracy. Spirit broken and disgraced, the no- 
ble emblem, thus far the harbinger of victory and na- 
tional glory, would flee to a more generous people, or 
remain as a sad memento of the glories of the past. 

Who would become the depositors of those works of 
art that illustrate and perpetuate our onward march, 
and excite the pride and veneration of the beholder, 
whether from the north or south ? 

Marius sitting solitary and degraded among the ruins 
of Carthage, has in all ages been regarded as a melan- 
choly spectacle of the reverse of human greatness. 

But how inferior would the misfortunes of that great 
man of antiquity appear, to the sad exhibition which 
the dismemberment of this republic would present? 

Its splendor effaced, its laws violated, intestine 
commotions within, weakness substituted for strength 
without; the sturdy pillars that supported the political 
arch prostrated, disjointed, and in ruins; while desola- 
tion overspreading the whole, would write mene tckel on 
all our former greatness. I trust in God that such a re- 
sult, so dire and calamitous, shall never be realized. 

After all what benefit have we of the north gained 
by agitating the slavery question, except the assertion 
of an abstract principle, and the acquisition of a few 
fugitive slaves, which we did not want? 



5G0 SLAVERY QUESTION. 

I will not argue this point, for no man of truth and 
connmon sense will pretend that any practical good has 
resulted; or that we have acquired anything beyond 
the unenviable distinction of evading, or violating the 
compromises of the constitution. 

But what benefits have accrued to the slaves? 

Nothing beyond the escape of a few, the greater part 
of whom, I have no doubt, have not improved their con- 
dition; while northern agitation, and bad faith to the 
south, have riveted the fetters of the slave with tenfold 
severity, on the great body of them ; have induced laws 
and poHce regulations more strict and penal, and put 
far off their emancipation in states, which if left to them- 
selves, would have sanctioned a gradual abolition. 

Even in Delaware, where they seemed prepared to 
liberate the whole, and where it would seem they might 
be set free without injury to any one, it is very doubt- 
ful whether the proposition could now be sustained. 
While in Maryland and Kentucky, slave holders, abused 
and tantalized, their property stolen, or spirited away, 
have become callous in feeling from repeated abuses, 
so that to all human appearances, slavery is now more 
firmly fixed than ever. I would not do on command of 
an intermedler, what I might think right of itself, and 
which I might cheerfully yield on request. I should be 
more likely to break the head of him for his insolence, 
who would rudely command, than to yield acquiescence. 
In other words, 1 would do no such thing on compulsion; 
and so it is, and will be, with the south. We have no 
right to interfere with their affairs, and they will re- 
fuse to listen to our suggestions, for the reason that we 
are " busy bodies in other men's matters." 

If abolitionists intend to repudiate the constitution, 
and resist, or encourage others ro resist the laws of the 



SLAVERY QUESTION.^ SZt 

■" . . . . \ 

land, (and that seems to be their intention, if their 
blustering means anything,) let them do so openly, and 
take their chance of punishment. Let them so act as 
to acquire a patriot*'s name ; if it be successful, revolu- 
tion ; or let it be rebellion and a halter, if they fail. 

In this position they will be respected for courage,' 
if for no other quality. But let them not pretend to 
acquiesce in the union of the states, and claim and en- 
joy protection of life and property from its laws, while 
withholding obedience to them, and exhorting to dis- 
obedience. They have been zealous in their teach- 
ings that it is sinning against God, against light and 
knowledge, and outraging the monitions of conscience, 
tp obey the requirements of the constitution. 

If an attachment to the union, and a determination 
to adhere to and fulfil the requirements of the constitu- 
tion, be sinful; then, beyond a peradventure, I am "one 
of the wicked." 

While, if claiming and enjoying protection, and 
swearing to support the constitution, yet evading, and 
encouraging others to resist the laws and nullify its 
provisions, thereby putting the peace of the country, 
and the stability of its government in jeopardy, be sin- 
ful ; I know of no condition so deserving of reprobation 
here, or hereafter, as should be visited on such trans- 
gressors. 

In the latter unenviable condition, I look upon the 
out-andout, half crazed abolitionists ; and have no great 
doubt that they will be so regarded by the enlightened 
and unbiased judgment of the country, and of posterity. 



86 



562 "■• MEXICAN WAR. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Reflections in regard to the war with Mexico. 

The annexation of Texas we all know, led to the war 
with Mexico. When the project was first started for 
bringing Texas into our union, and thus getting back 
an immense territory that we had ceded away, it met 
my decided approbation. I was desirous of avoiding 
a war, but wanted Texas in almost any event; and it 
appeared unreasonable that Mexico, weak as she was, 
should so pertinaciously object. 

Texas came into the union by compact between 
that and our own government; the war followed, and 
an additional territory was acquired, sufficient for an 
empire. 

A few reflections in regard to that war, its com- 
mencement, prosecution, and conclusion, may not be 
out of place. 

That a war would be the result of the annexation 
of Texas, was apparent in 1844, from the pertinacity 
with which the Mexicans asserted their claim to the 
territories represented by the "lone star," and their re- 
fusal to acknowledge an independence already achieved. 

The United States, England and France, had re- 
cognized Texas as an independent government ; and it 
was a foolhardy effort on the part of Mexico, to keep 
up a claim to that country, from which they were more 
likely to be invaded and harrassed, than to invade and 
recover the revolted province. Mexican pride, how- 
ever, was aroused; and when Texas was admitted to 



MEXICAN WAR. 563 

fellowship with the states represented by the stars and 
stripes, Mexico, weak as she was, blustered, and seem- 
ed to think a resort to arms necessary to sustain her 
reputation, even if she perished sword in hand. 

She voluntarily assumed that attitude; and if her 
spirit is admired, her prudence, and her efforts in the 
desperate conflict, will afford no flattering reflections to 
her national pride, or give assurance to the world that 
she can sustain herself hereafter. 

The contest resulted very much as was to be ex- 
pected. President Polk was aided by a cabinet of ex- 
traordinary talent. Mr. Walker at the head of the 
treasury, managed it with a skill and success rarely 
equalled, and never surpassed. While Governor Mar- 
cy, in the war department, conducted it, and in con- 
junction with military men called into council, matured 
the government plans for the campaigns, with an ener- 
gy and forecast, that shewed him eminently qualified 
for the important position he held. War being declar- 
ed, the great body of the whig party, though they dis- 
approved of it, yet resolved to support it till brought to 
an honorable conclusion. 

National pride was excited, and the whigs did not 
play the fool as the federalists did during the war of 
1812, but generally voted the supplies. The first mili- 
tary talent of the country was put in requisition ; and, 
while Generals Taylor and Scott headed the principal 
armies, they were seconded by Generals Wool, Worth, 
and other subordinates, whose brilliant exploits, and 
chivalric bearing, would have confered honor on any 
service. 

The troops, too, though most of them new recruits, 
or volunteers, were invincible ; and Mexico harrassed 
and annoyed by our navy in the gulf, and on the 



564: MEXICAN WAR. 

Pacific, and pressed by the armies within her territory, 
was soon at the mercy of the invaders. Her capita) 
taken, her armies defeated and dispersed, her treasury 
exhausted, and J;he spirit of her people broken, we 
might as well have subjugated the whole, and retained 
the whole, as to have made peace by purchasing Cali- 
fornia and New Mexico, then subdued and in our pos- 
session. It was understood that Yucatan, harrassed by 
her Indian population, would cheerfully have come into 
our union; and I am by no means certain, but it would 
have been better for our own country, after so nearly 
subjugating Mexico, to have sent ten or fifteen regi- 
ments more of volunteers, who with the armies there, 
and the fleets on the coast, would have conquered the 
whole country. It would have been for the interest ot 
Mexico, however revolting to its pride, to have been 
brought under, or in connection with, a strong govern- 
ment like ours. We should probably have had no 
more difficulty among ourselves in adjusting matters in 
reference to the slavery question, than we have had 
in regard to New Mexico, California, and the Texas 
boundary. 

As to the morality of the act, I do not see that we 
should have been in fault, so long as we treated the 
conquered people with humanity, and improved their 
condition, as we should have done, had they been an- 
nexed to the union. Mexico when she crossed the Rio 
Grande in hostile array, took the chance of war ; and 
had she been entirely conquered, and made part of 
ourselves, it would have been but the result of the 
hazard on which she ventured to stake her pohtical 
existence. 

It is no new thing for the sword to serve as arbiter 
to settle the fate of provinces and empires. 



MEXICAN WAR. 565 

It appears not only probable, but almost inevitable, 
that the whole of Mexico will ultimately be absorbed 
and brought under our control, making part of our con- 
federacy. 

Such an event with the consequent infusion of Anglo- 
American spirit and enterprise, would make Mexico 
what she ought to be, (but what she never will be un- 
der her present laws and system of government,) one 
of the finest portions of the American continent. 

I have been told, that Mr. Secretary Walker took 
this view of the question, in cabinet council; and was 
for subjecting and annexing the whole, but whether 
that was so in point of fact, I have no certain know- 
ledge ; though I think such was the case, for a man of 
his enlarged views, would very likelj' be of that opin- 
ion. It has been intimated that he contended, after we 
were in possession of the Mexican capital, that a rea- 
sonable tarifFon Mexican importations, tobelevied under 
our laws, or laws regulating military operations, would 
enable us to prosecute the war to the subjugation of the 
whole of that country, without being burthensome to 
this. If any man could have consummated such a re- 
sult, Mr. Walker could. 

Mr. Pclk and his cabinet did not favor so bold and 
grasping a project, and perhaps it is best that they did 
not ; as it is not certain that public opinion at home, 
would have sustained that policy. 

There were, certainly, difficulties and prejudices in 
the way. Our domains were already so extensive, that 
good and wise men feared that it would break to pieces 
from its own weight and extension. 

Then there was the objection from the difference of 
races, the prejudices naturally existing, and those that 
would likely spring up from a difference in language, 



566 MEXICAN WAR. 

laws, religion, habits of life; and, in short, everything 
that mark the lines of distinction between two nations, 
in almost every respect so dissimilar. 

In addition to all this, very serious objections would 
have been raised, particularly at the north, against en- 
larging our domains so much at the south, under an 
apprehension that slavery might be carried there, and 
thus create an overbearing influence in our national 
councils ; while, as slavery had been abolished and 
proscribed in Mexico, our southei-n states might have 
objected to the acquisition under a belief that slavery 
would still be excluded, and thus the southern slave 
holding states would in a measure, be swallowed up by 
the free states at the north and the free Mexican states. 
With these different views and prejudices, it was pro- 
bably best not to press the matter to extremities, and 
thus create prejudices at home, prolong the war with 
Mexico ; and, perhaps, had a disposition manifested 
itself, for the final conquest, a war might have been 
provoked with England, if not with other European 
powers. 

On the whole, Mr. Polk, in negotiating for a peace, 
and acquiring, as he did by purchase, California and 
New Mexico, probably better met the views of the 
American people, than he would by protracting the 
war, for the purpose of acquiring more, or even the 
whole. 

Still I do not believe it possible to arrest our influ- 
ence, our progress, or our acquisition of more southern 
territory; nor will Cuba cease to be regarded as a most 
desirable acquisition by a large proportion of our peo- 
ple, and I am by no means certain but that even the 
New Englanders as well as the south, may become re- 
conciled to the acquisition. We have lost none of the 



MEXICAN WAR. 567 

Anglo-Saxon propensity for good land ; and New Eng- 
land, shrewd, calculating, and money-loving, as well as 
money-getting, would be quite likely in the end, to be 
governed by what she should deem her interest ; and^ 
that interest, I have no doubt, would be ,r)romoted by^ 
the acquisition of Cuba. 

That fine island with the whole of the Mexican 
states are within our reach, and within the track of our 
extended commerce. 

The isthmus that divides the Atlantic from the Pa- 
i;f' cific, should belong to a people who would open that, 
as a thoroughfare for the commerce of the world. 

To our country it would be invaluable, in reference 
to free communications between our eastern and wes- 
tern possessions, as well as to eastern Asia. We ought 
to have it, and it is probable that the sentiment will 
become so prevalent that pretexts, will be found for its' 
acquisition. 

Negotiations most likely will be resorted to, within 
a few years, to consummate peaceably what appears 
to be coming along by " manifest destiny." Whenever 
it can be done, and Cuba and Mexico can be acquired 
and absorbed, without disturbing the harmony of the 
present states of this great republic, and without war 
or ill will among other nations, I hope to see the whole 
accomplished. ■ ' r, 



THE END. 



APPENDIX A. 



In my first chapter, speaking •■of the battle of Bennington, an 
intimation is given of an appendix, giving some further details. 
It is an old hacknied subject, but at this day almost any inci- 
dent connected with the revolutionary struggle, when brought 
out in detail so as to present personal actions, is read with 
interest, particularly by the rising generation. 

That battle had incidents, that I have heard talked over so 
often by my parents, that I have always felt a deep interest 
in them ; and being so intimately connected with my birth- 
place, the reader must excuse me for briefly referring to them. 

Burgoyne, as is well known, advanced from Canada with 
a powerful and well appointed force in the early part of June, 
1777, intending to open a communication by the way of Lake 
Champlain, with Albany, and thence with New York. 

In eveiy respect, except cavalry, his equipment was per- 
fect ; but this arm was deficient for the want of horses, a por- 
tion of which he expected would be sent after him from Ca- 
nada, and the residue he intended to procure as he advanced 
into the settled portions of New York. 

The latter part of June he arrived before Ticonderoga, 
which from the extent of its works, and the inadequate force 
under General St. Clair, was incapable of sustaining a pro- 
tracted siege. 

Before it was fully invested, the American general under 
the advice of a council of war, evacuated the fort, and retreat- 
ed towards the head of Lake Champlain ; but his rear guard, 
under Col. Warner, was vigorously attacked at Hubbardton, 
and defeated with considerable loss after an obstinate defence. 

Col. Warner retreated to Manchester, Vermont, while the 
main body of the Americans proceeded to Skenesborough, 



570 APPENDIX. 

and thence by the way of Wood Creek to the Hudson river. 
Burgoyne pursued, but his progress was greatly impeded 
from the want of provisions and munitions of war, and the 
means of transportation, as well as from the destruction of 
bridges, and obstructions by fallen trees across the road by 
the retreating Americans. 

On reaching the Hudson, after waiting for provisions and 
stores to be brought from his rear, he advanced slowly and. 
cautiously down the river ; and on arriving at a suitable point, 
detached Cols. Breyman and Baum with a strong force of 
Hessians, in the direction of Bennington. They were accom- 
panied by a large number of Indians, who were sent forward 
as scouts and rangers. Breyman encamped at Batten Kill, 
while Baum, with his Hessians and Indians, pushed on through 
Cambridge and White Creek, to Hoosic, within a few miles 
of Bennington. 

The object of the expedition was to capture a large quantity 
of provisions and military stores collected for the American 
army ; also to drive back the militia who were concentrating 
there in considerable force, and thus free the left flank of the 
royal army from their annoyance. A further object was to 
give countenance and support to those who were supposed to 
be well aifected towards the English government, who were 
erroneously estimated by Col. Skene, a loyalist officer, as five 
to one ; and a still further object was to provide horses, as it 
was intended to organize a corps of dragoons, a considerable 
portion of Baum's force having their dragoon swords with 
them, as well as muskets. 

My grand-parents on my mother's side, resided in Cam- 
bridge, on the route that the enemy would take, and as they 
advanced, the countiy was filled with alarm and consterna- 
tion. The cattle and live stock of all descriptions were driven 
off into Vermont, the iron ware and kitchen furniture buried 
and hid in the garden, while the wagon was placed before 
the door, where the horses were standing with their harness 
on, ready to start at a moment's warning. On the 13th or 
14th of August, 1777, a man on horseback riding rapidly from 



APPENDIX. 571 

the rear, came to warn the family to flee ; telling them to be 
off at once, as the Indians were approaching, and were within 
a mile of the dwelling. Beds and bedding were hastily thrown 
into the wagon, and the family on top of them drove off to- 
wards Bennington. 

As they went forward, tney found the inhabitants flying 
like themselves ; and soon after met a detachment of Ameri- 
cans under Col. Gregg, who had been sent forward by Gen. 
Stark, to the number of two hundred, to oppose and harrass 
the Hessians and Indians. My mother, then about twelve 
years old, has often described the alarm that pervaded all 
classes. In the ranks of those who were advancing to check 
the enemy, were many so young that they appeared like boys, 
several of whom were crying. 

Baum pressed on, and Gregg and his detachment fell back, 
when on arriving at the Wallomsack Creek, where the battle 
was subsequently fought, the Hessian commander alarmed at 
the numbers in his front, halted and intrenched himself on the 
heights, and sent back for reinforcements. This was the 14th 
of August, during which day there was much skirmishing, so < 
that he lost thirty men killed and wounded, two being distin- 
guished Indian chiefs; one of whom was shot from the field 
of grain, as related in the first chapter. Stark with his regi- 
ment lay in front of the Hessians, and he was aided by several 
small regiments. 

Col. Warner was still at Manchester, but had been request- 
ed to march forward to co-operate with Stark. It rained 
nearly the whole day on the 15th, which rendered the I'oads 
almost impassable, so that Warner did not arrive in time for 
the principal action, as it was a long march and he had to halt 
to rest and refresh his men, to clean and prepare their arms, and 
to furnish them with fresh ammunition, their cartridges having 
become wet and unfit for use. The same rain equally retarded 
the advance of Breyman, who did not reach the scene of con- 
flict until Baum had been attacked and defeated. 

He had skilfully selected his ground where he had intrench- 
ed his party, consistinsr of upwards of five hundred well armed 



572 APPENDIX. 

and disciplined Hessians, with more than one hundred In- 
dians ; and he was aided by a strong force of tories, who con- 
stixicted and posted themselves behind a breastwork. 

He had also two pieces of field aitillery judiciously station- 
ed to defend his intrenchment. 

His object was to maintain his position till the re-inforce- 
ment should arrive, while the object of the Americans was to 
overwhelm him before that arrival. 

Though Warner's regiment was not present, Stark deter- 
mined to attack the enemy, and preparatory thereto Col. Ni- 
chols with two hundred men was sent to the rear of the left of 
the Hessians, and Col. Herrick with three hundred to the rear 
of the right, with orders to unite by a flank movement as 
they advanced to the attack, and thus enclose the Hessians 
and Indians, and cut off their retreat. 

Cols. Hubbard and Stickney, with about two hundred, were 
still farther to the right, and were to attack from that quarter; 
while about one hundred were to advance and attack in front. 
Gen, Stark commanded the whole, and led one of the latter 
columns into action. The object in attacking the enemy 
from the rear was to drive him still farther from his expected 
re-inforcements, in case he could be forced from his intrench- 
ments. 

The Americans were undisciplined, nearly all direct from 
their farms ; poorly armed, the most of them without bayo- 
nets, and many of them with fowling pieces only. But they 
were stern, resolute, reflecting men, who not only believed 
their cause just, but that it was a religious duty to fight stoutly 
in defence of their families and their homes, as well as to 
maintain their political rights. 

In addition to these considerations they were incensed in 
the highest degree against the Hessians, who were regarded 
as mercenaries ; while the baibarities of the Indians were 
such, that it needed no incentive to stimulate a desire to exter- 
minate them, as well as the tories. 

To induce his men to act more vigorously however. Stark 
promised them the plunder and spoils of the enemy. The 



APPENDIX. 573 

action commenced about three o'clock in the afternoon, by a 
vigorous charge on all sides of the enemy's works. The firing 
was incessant, not in vollies or platoons by the Americans, but 
indiscriminately ; each man loading and fii'ing as fast as he 
could, and taking as deliberate aim as possible. 

My father, who was very near the scene of action, and could 
hear every gun, used to compare the incessant reports with 
the constant snapping of hemlock brush when exposed to fire. 

In the midst of all the din of small arms, the field pieces 
were admirably served, and kept booming away at the ad- 
vancing Americans. They pushed forward cautiously towards 
the breastworks and intrenchments, sheltering themselves 
wherever a shelter intervened ; but to render their attack suc- 
cessful it was necessary to advance and come to close work 
as soon as possible, for the Hessians and tories were mainly 
protected. 

The Indians finding themselves likely to be enclosed by 
the divisions of Nichols and Herrick, which wei'e closing up, 
broke through between them, and scampered oflf at the early 
part of the action, running through the briar field as formerly 
mentioned. A battle probably excites and brings out the hu- 
man passions with an intensity beyond any other incident in 
life. It is a struggle where human existence is at stake, be- 
sides other minor considerations that excite and stimulate to 
action. 

Near the intrenchments was a field of standing flax, v/hich 
having grown high and luxuriant afforded a covering, and 
slight protection to a party of Americans, who crept through 
it ; when on emerging from it, they were within a few rods 
of the enemy. The commandant of the party immediately 
sprung on an adjoining stump, and swinging his hat round his 
head in a frantic manner, cried out with stentorian voice, 
" there they are boys, put it into them, put it into them," ac- 
companied with the most horrid oaths and imprecations. 

Being so near the enemy, and exposed to his fire, it was 
necessary to advance upon him at once or to retreat ; and the 
former course was adojited ; for the brown muskets soon cros- 



; APPENDIX. ' 574 

Bed the rampart and raked the intrenchments. The action 
lasted nearly three honrs, and when the Hessians had ex- 
hausted their ammunition, they resolutely charged with their 
dragoon swords. 

Their efforts however were vain, as they were driven from 
their works and retreated in disorder, followed by the Ame- 
ricans ; who intent on the promised plunder had become 
broken and in confusion. At this critical moment, and not far 
from sundown, Breyman approached with a strong force, 
bringing with him two other field pieces. 

It fortunately happened that about the same time Col. War- 
ner arrived with his regiment, which being led against Brey- 
man, the action was resumed, and the Americans who had 
broken in pursuit of Baum's party rallied, and were again 
brought into action. Breyman defended himself with bravery, 
but ^v as forced to fall back with the loss of his artillery, and 
many of his men who were killed, wounded, or taken. The 
defeat was complete, and nothing saved his whole corps from 
absolute destruction but the darkness of the night. 

Baum had been mortally wounded, and the result of tho 
battle was to the Americans most auspicious. They took four 
brass field pieces, twelve brass drums, four ammunition wa- 
gons, two hundred and fifty dragoon swords, more than one 
thousand muskets, and seven hundred prisoners. The Ame- 
ricans lost in "killed and wounded about one hundred. The 
Hessians, tories and their Indian allies, between two and 
three hundred ; of whom a large proportion of those killed at 
the breastwork and in the intrenchments were shot through 
the head. About three hundred of both parties were left on 
the field. 

In this contest whole families were engaged. The father 
of the late Joshua Hathaway, of Rome, Oneida county, was 
there, with five or six of his sons ; all of whom I believe es- 
caped unhurt. A clergyman, with a large proportion of hig 
congregation, from a western town in Massachusetts, was also 
in the hottest of the fight. 

At Bunker Hill, a little more than one thousand raw troops 



APPENDIX. 575 

had defended their Intrenchments against more than three 
thousand regulars, till their ammunition was expended ; while 
here, in the words of an English historian, " about eight 
•hundred undisciplined militia without bayonets, attacked and 
routed five hundred regular troops, advantageously posted 
behind intrenchments, furnished with the best arms, and de- 
fended by two pieces of artillery." And he ought to have 
added, assisted by Indians and a large body of tories. 

This was the first check that Burgoyne had met with, and 
in its consequences was most fatal ; for his force was weak- 
ened by more than one thousand men ; his operations crippled 
and restricted to the immediate vicinity of his head quarters ; 
while the influence on the Americans was electrical. It gave 
them confidence ; they rallied as one man, and forming a net- 
work around, so entangled him in their meshes, that after two 
desperate and Hard fought battles, he was compelled to sur- 
render in less than two months after the affair at Bennington. 



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